I'm Not in Love With a Vampire
by Lady of Romance
Summary: 17 year old Amber Hemingway never expected to fall in love with a vampire.And vampire Jaedon Marsh never expected to be loved.In a city where vampires and humans are forced to live side by side,their love is forbidden.Will it be strong enough to survive?
1. First Day of School Blues

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I'm back with yet another little tale for you. This one I got inspiration on from the FOB song "A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More Touch Me" music video. If you haven't seen it yet, do so immediately! It's a real work of art! Most of my characters are based off of the people in the video. Oh and just for rambling purposes, Pete Wentz is HOT!!!! I think I'm in love now! And I have Werewolf-of-Alagaesia to thank for that. She'll be helping me a little with this story, but it won't be co-written sadly. Sorry, fokes! Well, I'll let you all get to reading. Enjoy!!!**

First Day of School Blues

_This is so fucking pointless!_

This was the only thought that went through Amber Hemingway's mind as she sat boredly through her English Literature class. She was slumped down in her seat, arms draped over her desk with her chin resting on top of them. Her eyes were fixed vacantly down on the elderly female professor, not really paying attention to her on-going lecture on Shakespeare's "greatest masterpiece": _Hamlet_. If she were to glance around the forum, Amber knew there would be many other students situated in their seats the exact same way she was.

_There are so many things I could rather be doing right now than listening to this hag rant on and on about a stupid play that was written centuries before anyone gave a damn…_

Amber sighed heavily as she ran a hand through her long black bangs, sweeping them over to cover her right eye. She tipped the brim of her black fedora down lower, still debating whether she should take a nap or not. But her decision was taken out of her hands when a stern and slightly-irritated voice barked, "Miss Hemingway, am I boring you or are you not getting enough sleep at night?"

Amber looked up and saw Prof. Alexander glaring up at her, spider leg-thin arms crossed over a non-existent chest. She returned the teachers frosty gaze with a quirk of a perfectly-groomed black eyebrow.

"It would be the former, Professor." Amber stated blandly.

This only made Prof. Alexander purse her lips into a tight line and caused an ugly shade of red creep up on her cheeks and the back of her neck. Amber smirked slightly; she loved it when she pissed the old lady off.

"Well, maybe you should take that smart mouth of yours down to the Provost's office, hmm?" Prof. Alexander suggested.

But Amber knew it was more of a command than a suggestion.

"What for? All I did was tell the truth. What's wrong with that?" Amber asked, feigning innocence.

"You…you're wearing that ridiculous hat again in my class, even after all the times you've been told not to! You know perfectly well that it's against the school's attire code." Prof. Alexander stated, going over to her desk and writing up a yellow referral slip.

She tore the piece of paper off of the pad and held it out to Amber, who just stared indifferently back at her, but rebellion gleamed in her aqua colored eyes.

"Now, Miss Hemingway! Before I get any older!" Prof. Alexander snapped, her aggravation making the wrinkles in her face become more prominent.

_Trust me, anymore help in that department and you'll just start to decompose. _She scoffed to herself.

Amber rolled her eyes as she shoved all of her things into her black and red messenger bag and slung it over her shoulder as she stood up out of her seat. Her lace-up, knee boots produced a loud _clomping_ sound as she made her way down the forum steps. She snatched the yellow slip from Prof. Alexander's hand and slunk out of class, making sure she slammed the door extra hard behind her. Amber walked down to the Provost's office with slow, lazy strides, definitely not in any hurry to get there. Reaching into the pocket of her navy uniform blazer, she pulled out a pack of citrus blackberry Trident gum and popped a piece into her mouth. She chewed on it idly as she opened the door to the Administration Office.

A prim and neatly-dressed secretary sat at a highly-polished mahogany desk, clacking away at her computer with long, wine-colored acrylic nails. She looked up from the monitor and over the rim of her white glasses at Amber before rolling her eyes exasperatedly and nodding towards the door to her left. Amber returned the gesture with a curt nod, turning the handle to the door and walking in. This was just a routine thing; Amber's once-a-day visit to the Provost's office. Upon entering the office, Amber looked around the small, yet roomy office. Pictures of sports teams and trophies decorated the walls along with various teaching degrees and awards. Then, her gaze drifted to the Provost himself. He was still the same fat, poorly dressed, slime ball that he'd been the year before…

Except…now he had a mustache that matched his greasy brown toupee.

Provost Chase looked up at her from his ornate, maroon leather chair and frowned deeply, obviously displeased that she was there once again.

"Have a seat, Miss Hemingway." Provost Chase sighed, motioning a hand towards the empty leather chair beside her.

She shrugged and dropped her bag unceremoniously onto the ground before plopping herself down into the chair in an elegant slump. With a flick of her wrist, the teen threw her yellow slip onto his desk. The Provost shook his head as he pulled out a rather large file from his desk. Amber smirked with pride. Her record of referrals for disturbances and indecencies…aw, what good times there were to remember? Provost Chase just glanced down at the now crumpled-up slip of paper before going back to examine her file.

"I see Professor Alexander wrote you up for another dress code violation." He stated, nonchalantly. "I'd think by now you'd know better than to wear that hat to school."

"Yeah, that's what she said, but obviously I'm a slow learner." Amber remarked with a lazy smirk.

"Yes, well…that much is for certain." Provost Chase muttered under his breath, not knowing that Amber had caught it.

After steepling his fingers up on the desk, the Provost looked down on Amber sternly, his eyes expressing weariness from this repeated issue.

"Now, Amber, do you really want to repeat your past two years here at the Academy? I mean, you're a junior now and I know you're really a brilliant student…Your grades have always been excellent…I just don't understand why you feel the need to act out in class and have such a strong disregard for the rules?" He rambled on.

Amber just sat there looking down at her hands in her lap, playing with the edges to her black lace, fingerless gloves. When he cleared his throat, indicating that he wanted a response, her vibrant blue eyes flicked up towards his bloated flushed face before returning idly down to her hands.

"Call it teenage rebellion, I guess." She muttered, quietly with disinterest.

"Well, whatever it is, it really must stop, Amber." The Provost told her, sternly. "I don't think your father would be very pleased to be called down here again because you wore that silly hat to school again, now would he?"

Her fingers came up to brush her hat fondly. It was one of the best purchases she'd ever made. She'd fallen in love with it the instant she'd seen it in a display at DEB. The fedora was totally her style with thin white lines and a black satin ribbon wrapped around it, a rhinestone buckle glittering cutely amongst all the black. It was almost impossible for Amber to part with it. If the hat wouldn't become all warped and funny-looking, she'd even wear it to bed. Besides…it went with everything. The Provost just gave her another heavy sigh before writing up another slip of paper. This time it was blue, which was just as familiar to her as the yellow one. She would have to give this one for her father to sign, so he'd know that she'd been to the office again, and she'd have to return it to the secretary in the morning. If she didn't, Amber would have a Saturday detention. So all in all…it was just a huge pain in the ass.

"Let's try to have a better year, okay?" He suggested, though his tone didn't sound hopeful in the least.

Amber didn't say or do anything as she took the slip of paper and left the room, slinging her bag over her shoulder again. Just as she was exiting the Administration Office, the bell signaling the end of class rang. This gave Amber some small amount of relief. At least now she wouldn't have to return to Old Grouch Alexander's class. She pushed her way through the throng of students, making her way outside to cut across the courtyard to her next class, even though she was in no real hurry to get there either. As she was passing under the grove of maple trees, a friendly taunting voice called out, "Hey, Amb, wait up! Don't start the Provost-lecture-sulking-party without me!"

Amber looked in the direction the voice had come from and smirked. Holly Porter, best friend and complete psycho, was jogging to catch up to her, gray and red _My Chemical Romance_ satchel swaying from her shoulder as she did so. She slowed down her pace and allowed Holly to catch up to her, the lively color of her hot pink-streaked black hair making her feel better already. The choppy layers bounced around her face in time with her springy movements. Holly offered her a smirk in return as they settled into a comfortable pace together.

"So, how was your meeting with Mr. Skuzzy?" Holly asked, sweeping her long bangs out of her face.

"The usual…boring and totally pointless." Amber replied, vaguely. "He just ranted on about how I should respect the school's absurd dress code and that I needed to change my attitude or we'd have problems. You know…that whole inane spiel."

"Yeah, I bet he's just as tired of giving that speech as you are hearing it. I don't get why he even bothers anymore." Holly stated.

"I know, he knows I'm going to do whatever I damn well please anyway. I mean…they've given up on nagging about other parts of my style. I don't see why my hat is any different."

"I used to feel your pain, Sister." Holly agreed, putting a hand to her heart and shaking her head in pity. "I show just as much disinterest in the dress code as you do, but now they've pretty much given up on me."

Amber smirked before looking her friend over. Holly did have her own sense of style that would send most adults into a hissy fit, especially their school administrators. Her uniform was all disheveled, blazer unbuttoned, tie loosened, white shirt unbuttoned as well and partially untucked, navy plaid skirt stitched with band stickers and adorned with a black studded belt over it, black Mary Jane's replaced by black and hot pink checkered Vans with knee-high black and green socks. To make things even more unusual, she had a pair of ridiculously large headphones draped around her neck, which were attached to the iPod she had hidden in a secret pouch on the inside of her skirt.

"I don't know." Amber sighed, smirk never vanishing from her face. "Maybe they have a secret infatuation with me or something."

"Man, I know the Provost does for sure!" Holly exclaimed with a whop of laughter. "Everyone can tell he's got a school girl fetish."

"I don't look like an average school girl, though." Amber pointed out.

"True, you're more like a…gothic bad girl who'd rather be in some dark alley making-out with God-knows-what than sitting around in some dull classroom…kinda person." Holly agreed.

"Thanks for classifying me so thoroughly, Hol." Amber retorted, her eyes glittering with amusement. "I really appreciate it."

"Don't mention it." Holly replied with a dismissive wave, her eyes too gleaming with laughter. "That's what I'm here for."

Amber did muse on the thought for a minute though. It was no secret that she was considered gothic. If the black knee boots, fingerless gloves, and chains dangling from her skirt didn't hint at it, the layers of dark eye make-up contrasting with her ivory-colored skin would. Because of her idea of fashion, Amber was pretty much a loner, which made people believe she was even more of a recluse than before. Holly was pretty much her only friend, being an outsider as well. But Amber loved her style and wouldn't give it up for the world. She really didn't understand what was so bad about it to begin with. It was just wearing a bunch of dark colors together with a few well placed chains and spikes here and there and a healthy dose of black eyeliner and eye shadow, even switching to midnight blue or add a bit of sparkle if she was in the mood. Other girls did some of this and they were popular; they just didn't mix it all together like she did. Amber wasn't really a freak like everyone though she was, but no one gave her a chance to prove it.

"All well, I just can't wait for this day to be over." Amber announced, stretching her arms high over her head.

"Me too, Hun, me too." Holly agreed.

Just then, the tardy bell rang insistently as they stepped back into the building.

"Great! We're late for class!" Holly exclaimed, sarcastically.

Amber rolled her eyes and hung her head in frustration. Holly saw this and smiled in sympathy.

"We could just skip." She suggested.

"No…" Amber sighed, wearily, adjusting her messenger bag strap, "we need to go. If I get into anymore trouble than I'm already in, my dad will kill me without hesitation. I'm already fearing for my life as it is."

"Better a 30-minute detention than a trip to the morgue, I guess." Holly agreed, wistfully.

"Come on, we'd better hurry before Professor O'Connell decides to make it an hour." Amber said, dully, as they made their way down the now empty hall.

_What a perfect fucking first day of school this turned out to be_…Amber thought, grudgingly as she and Holly stepped into their history class.

**A/N: Well, I hope you all liked it. I'll be trying to incorporate the vampire part of the story in the next chapie, so stay tuned. And again if you haven't seen the FOB video, WATCH IT NOW! That's all. Review pretty please with strawberries and sugar on top!**


	2. Losing in the Game of Life Already

**A/N: I'm back! Thanks everyone for the wonderful reviews. I really appreciated them. They made me feel so much better about this story. The first few chapters are kinda slow so bare with me please. For now, I'm rating this story T, but I have plans for it that might earn it an M. We'll see, I'll leave it up to you guys. Well, read and enjoy...**

Losing in the Game of Life Already

When the grueling and over-dramatic first day of school was finally over, Amber and Holly were making their way towards the student parking lot. Holly had managed to sweet talk their way out of the detentions they would have gotten by saying that there had been a "feminine crisis" and Amber had been in desperate need of a tampon. By some small miracle it had worked, and they had been let off with a warning. It might have helped that Holly was Prof. O'Connell's favorite student, too. All well, either way they had gotten out if their punishment and were now home free.

"So what are you going to do when you get home?" Holly asked as they cut across the soccer field.

"I don't know…" Amber sighed, running her fingers through her bangs again. "I still have to pick up Maggie from school. Then, probably get started on some of that bogus homework some of our teachers gave us. I think the teachers that assign homework on the first day needed to be checked into an asylum or something. It's just not right. Anyway, then I'll have to get dinner started before Dad gets home."

"Yeah well…while you're bustin' your ass off with all that shit, I'm going to be rockin' out to my music for a couple five hours. Then, if I have the energy…I'll go and grab a veggie wrap from the kitchen and retreat back up to my lair to try and break my eardrums again. And maybe I'll find time to squeeze in a shower and sleep." Holly said, thoughtfully. "I don't know; I'll see how it goes."

"You're so weird." Amber muttered with a smirk, shaking her head.

"Would you like me if I was anything less?" Holly asked, sweetly.

Amber chuckled lightly, but said nothing. Suddenly, their comfortably warm and light-humored discussion was broken when a low voice shouted out, "Yo, Amber!"

The two girls stopped under a large oak tree and turned to see who had called. That's when they spotted a tall skater-looking guy striding towards them. This was Matt Simns, Amber's somewhat-pleasant boyfriend. He wore a tight fitting white shirt with the sleeves pushed up his arms and his uniform pant were pulled down so that they hung low on his hips, displaying hints of his boxers. His blazer was slung over his shoulder at the moment, and his tie hung loosely from his neck. A black and white beanie was pulled snuggling on his head, covering most of his shaggy, platinum blonde hair. As he approached the girls, they noticed that his eyes were fixed on Amber coldly; obviously he wasn't too happy with her for some reason. When he stopped in front of them, he crossed his arms over his broad chest. He towered over them both; his presence almost seemed menacing.

"What's the matter, Matt?" Amber asked, just barely able to hide the hint of fear in her tone. "You seem upset about something."

"You're damn right I'm upset!" He growled, angrily, his icy blue eyes glinting dangerously. "I heard that you were seen flirting with that prick Jason Farr whose on the football team! You care to tell me what that's about?!"

"I didn't flirt with Jason. We're just friends. I gave him a few answers in Geometry, that's all. I felt bad for the guy. He's as dumb as a doorknob." Amber explained, hurriedly, trying to crack a joke to lighten the mood.

Matt seemed not at all convinced. He took another step closer to Amber, backing her up against the tree, throwing his blazer down in the process. Holly watched frozenly as he stood an inch away from her, sneering right in her face, "You're lying to me! You were too flirting with him, you little whore!"

"No, i…it's the truth, Matt! Ho…honest!" Amber stuttered in a high- pitched tone that was so different from her usual confident drawl. "I'd never lie to you. I…I love you. I could only ever love you. I'm yours, remember?"

After looking her up and down for a minute, an arrogant smirk took over his ugly scowl, making him actually seem quite gorgeous. The smirk made Amber's fears dissolve and made her knees feel weak. She always felt that way when Matt looked at her like that. But Holly on the other hand was still wary and afraid. She saw the true monster underneath the handsome façade, the beast sleeping within just waiting for the opportune moment to wake up and devour the woman in front of him. Matt's arms snuck around Amber's waist pulling her impossibly close to his body. Amber's hands came to rest up on his chest looking as if she just might push him away. The fearful look re-appeared in her aqua orbs.

"That's right, Baby." Matt whispered, huskily. "You're mine and always will be. Always remember that."

"How…how could I ever forget?" Amber stuttered, quietly.

"Good, now…how was your day, Love?" He asked, brushing back her bangs almost tenderly.

"Alright, I guess. I got sent to the Provost's office again otherwise it was just dull." Amber replied, tentatively.

"I see, so am I going to see you tonight?" Matt inquired, raising a suggestive blonde eyebrow.

"I…I don't know. It depends how late my dad has to work." Amber answered, a little unsure of his reaction. "I gotta take care of my sister.'

"Well," Matt whispered, bring his lips close to her ear, "you've got my number if you need it. I can be over and ready to either sneak you out or scale your drain pipe, which ever is easier."

Amber's eyes fluttered shut with lust as his hot breath ghosted over her ear. As he pulled away, he nipped playfully at the small golden hoop on her upper right ear.

"So…call me." He told her, winking flirtatiously as he lowered his lips and captured hers in a fierce kiss.

Holly turned away at this point for it was almost too sickening to watch. Not because it was graphic or anything, she could take that. It's just…it didn't seem right. Amber gave into his control and took up the role she despised more than anything else: the submissive. Just once, she wanted to be the controller and steal a kiss from him, not the other way around. She just wanted to see what it was like. But no…Matt devoured her mouth, pushing his tongue into her mouth roughly, the piercing on the end of it hitting the roof of her mouth painfully, and nearly making her gag as he tried to stick it down her throat. He gripped her hard, almost crushing her petite frame into his hard body. Very briefly, Amber wished Matt could be a little gentler, but she just threw that idea out as soon as it had come. Would she like Matt if he was anything less than what he already was?

Finally, he pulled away, separating their connection and leaving her gasping for air. Matt smirked smugly down at her as he played with his lower lip lightly, his hands too covered in fraid, black fingerless gloves. He always did this right after he kissed her. Holly watched with relief as he made a kissing motion to Amber before stalking off. Her gray eyes then, drifted over to her friend worriedly. She looked dazed to say the least. Holly walked up closer to her, standing right in front of her and waving a hand in front of her face. Amber blinked a few times before the look in her eyes that made her look high left and she actually focused on Holly.

"Are you okay?" Holly asked, somewhat anxiously.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine." Amber answered, gulping down a pant.

"Okay, let's get to our cars." Holly suggested linking her arm through Amber's for support.

Amber merely nodded in response and followed obediently. Holly didn't want to say the things she really wanted to. Everytime she told Amber how bad Matt was for her and how she really needed to break up with him, she'd just get so upset. She'd say things like "oh, he's not really all that bad" or "he's a completely different person when we're alone". Holly knew they were lies; Amber had always been a terrible liar. But Holly knew the reason why Amber wouldn't break-up with him.

She was afraid.

Amber was afraid that Matt would hurt her if she dumped him, which he most likely would. Matt didn't take rejection well, which was why his daddy had to buy his way onto the soccer team just incase if he didn't make it, even though he was now one of the best players St. Lawrence Academy had ever seen. That and for some reason Amber had a weird obsession with Matt's anger-infused passion. It was kinda like the whole Stanley and Stella deal. Even though Amber hated being submissive, part of her was still intrigued by it. Holly just wished Amber would see the light and break it all off, that way she wouldn't have to pretend she didn't see the bruises on her arms and face or pretend to believe the pathetic lies of running into a door.

Once they got to their cars, Holly made sure Amber was alright to drive and told her to call her later if she wanted. Amber smiled and told her goodbye before sliding into her red BMW convertible. She drove to her younger sister Margaret's school just a few blocks away and picked her up before heading home. As Maggie went on about her great first day of second grade, Amber drove into an upper-class neighborhood lined with lush trees and bushes and grand brick townhouses. Even as they pass down this peaceful and quiet street, Amber had to wonder how something so pleasant could exist in a city as dangerous as hers. She pulled into the driveway of house 58B and parked right behind a black Jaguar.

"Yay, Daddy's home!" Maggie exclaimed in her high little girl voice, grabbing her book bag and jumping out of Amber's car.

Amber followed more reservedly, nor very thrilled with the fact that her father was home early. Her car beeped as she locked it, and she followed Maggie up the stone steps to the front door. The little eight year old jumped up and down excitedly as Amber opened the door slowly, trying to stall for time. But when the door opened and the light from the crystal chandelier in the foyer glared down at her, Amber knew she was only avoiding the inevitable. Maggie bounced into the house daintily, handing her maroon blazer to the door maid with a smile before sprinting off in the direction of their father's study. Amber slid her messenger bag off and dropped it on the floor as the maid said politely in greeting, "Good afternoon, Miss. How was your day?"

"Just fine, thank you. Is my dad in his study?" Amber replied, sticking her hand in the pocket of her blazer and crumpling the blue note anxiously.

"I believe so, Miss." The maid answered.

With a thankful nod, Amber made her way down the hall slowly, messing with her lacy gloves idly. It wasn't that she was afraid of her father. No, Amber wasn't scared of him in the slightest, but she wasn't exactly looking forward to the severe scolding that was surely in store for her when he found out she got yet-another blue slip. The door to the large study was open, but Amber went no further than the doorway. Maggie sat behind a large mahogany desk on the lap of a middle-aged man with salt and pepper colored hair. His face was mostly clean-shaven, except for the little mustache that twitch on his upper lips. The little girl on his lap giggled as he poked her sides lightly, smiling widely himself. Maggie's blonde curls bounced around her face as she thrashed this way and that. With tears of mirth in her eyes, Maggie turned and saw Amber standing there watching them.

"Sissy, Daddy won't quit tickling me!" The child exclaimed.

Amber put on her best fake smile that she could muster. If only he had played with her like that when she had been Maggie's age… That's when Amber's father turned to look at her. Those piercing periwinkle blue eyes of his seemed to stare right through her soul, making Amber wonder how those same eyes could have been given to Maggie. Ronald Hemingway looked his daughter over with a mixture of disappointment and revulsion. Amber just stuck her head up in the air with pride and pretended that his judgmental gaze didn't bother her.

"And I hope your first day of school went well, too, Amber." Mr. Hemingway stated, his eyes narrowing already in suspicion.

"Coulda been better." She replied, stiffly.

Ronald's eyes narrowed even more at this response, but when his gaze shifted down to his younger daughter, his expression softened.

"Maggie, why don't you do up to your room and get started on your homework?" He suggested, softly.

"Okay, Papa." Maggie replied, jumping off of his lap.

On her way out the door, she stopped to hug Amber around the waist before skipping happily down the hall. The older daughter shut the door behind her, thinking of the screaming match that was to come. Ronald got up from his chair and stood with his back to Amber, looking out the large window in front of him.

"What did you do this time, Amber?" He asked, wearily.

"Dress code violation." She answered, taking the blue slip out of her blazer pocket.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Ronald sighed, turning towards her and taking an ink pen out of his suit pocket.

With a flick of his wrist, he signaled her to come closer. Amber did as she was told just to make things more bearable for herself. She gave him the note without a word and watched as he signed it. It didn't escape her notice when he'd glance up from the note briefly to look at her. She smirked internally at this. He was only a head taller…maybe just a little more, and Amber knew her father found this slightly intimidating. That and her eyes were always a constant reminder of the one thing that he had loved most that he'd also lost.

"Now, Amber…"

"I know, Dad. I know, I gotta straighten up in school or there will be serious consequences to pay if I don't." Amber recited, while rolling her eyes. "I got the whole speech from the Provost earlier."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt for you to hear it again." He replied, sternly, giving her slip back. "Maybe it would actually sink in this time."

Amber sputtered sarcastically and rolled her eyes, turning to leave.

"Don't you walk away from me, young lady!" Mr. Hemingway barked, irritably.

"Why? What are you going to do about it if I don't?" Amber snapped back, turning to him slightly and putting a gloved hand on her hip.

"You're my daughter and you live under my roof. You _will_ do what you're told!" Ronald seethed through clenched teeth.

"Oh, yeah and that's plenty of reason for me to listen to you." She scoffed back.

"You insolent little brat…I don't know why I even bother to reason with you!" He shouted, his eyes glowing with anger. "You should know you're this close to being thrown out onto the streets!"

"Now, Father, that wouldn't be very smart when election time starts rolling around." Amber retorted with a cold smirk. "What would your constituents think if they found out their "perfect" State's Attorney threw his own daughter out on the streets to starve?"

Mr. Hemingway's lips tightened into a thin line, and Amber's smirk grew, knowing that she was right. With a bitter laugh, she said, "That's what I thought."

She whirled around and strode towards the door. Her hand was right on the knob when her father's voice hissed, spitefully, "You're as deranged and hopeless as your mother!"

This made Amber stop dead in her tracks. It felt as if her heart had stopped beating and grown icy cold. Her hands shook violently with rage, rattling the golden door handle noisily. When she spun back around, Amber saw her dad's still infuriated expression, but his eyes gleamed with hateful triumph at striking a nerve in his daughter.

"Don't you _dare_ talk about her to me like that!" Amber snarled, viciously.

"Why not? She is worthless trash, and you know it!" He spat back.

"You're just sore because she left this loveless and lonely life she had with you to be happy and free, something you wouldn't let her be!" Amber sneered, frostily, turning back towards the door. "You never understood her and you never will!"

"You think you know your mother so well! You give her pity when she deserves none!" Her father called out behind her. "She left when you were only eleven, yet you think you've got her all figured out. She left you, too, Amber! She left you with me!"

Amber looked down at her feet as his taunting words rang throughout her head, but she refused to believe them. Her mother had loved her; she still did. Pale fingers came up to brush the pendant that hung from her slender neck. It was a sapphire-encrusted silver crucifix that hung from a black lace choker. Several other small silver chains hung with it. The necklace had once been her mother's, and Amber had found it on top of her dresser the morning her mom had disappeared. A little note had been laid under it, telling Amber that someday she would come back for her and Maggie. For six years Amber had worn the necklace…for six years she had waited. And even though the chances of her mom ever coming back to get her were growing slimmer with each day that passed, Amber still held some small sliver of hope deep down in her heart.

"She'll come for me." Amber whispered softly to herself. "She promised."

As she left the study and ran up the steps to her room grabbing up her messenger bag as she went, Amber let a single tear fall from her aqua eyes. She allowed it to trail down her face, finding comfort in the wet streak it had left behind. Finally, Amber came to a mahogany door with a large poster of _Evanescence_ plastered up on it and dug out the key to the lock from her blazer pocket. After unlocking the door, Amber turned the handle and stepped inside her sanctuary, slamming the door behind her again. The "Do Not Disturb" sign would ward off any unwanted guests. Everyone in the house knew Amber preferred to be alone after school and usually let her be to blare her music and drown out everything else in existence.

Dropping her bag down on the midnight blue plush carpet and throwing off her beloved hat, Amber ran and hurled herself onto her bed. Her body bounced a couple times before settling down comfortably. She turned to her right and grabbed for the remote to her iHome, turning on her music. _Bring Me to Life_ by _Evanescence_ blasted through the small speakers, and Amber closed her eyes in relaxation. Amy Lee always had a way of taking her mind off of stressing matters. The woman was a genius and a brilliant singer. Slowly, Amber re-opened her eyes, staring blankly up at her dark plum canopy. Her father wouldn't let her decorate her room in all black as she had wanted, so she chose the next best thing: dark purples and blues.

The walls were painted bluish-purple and when she had candles burning and just a few lamps on, the room looked so warm and inviting. Her comforter was a satiny patch work of dark plum, light and dark ocean blue with patterns of suns, moons, and stars stitched into it with silver thread. An array of beaded pillows in different shapes and colors littered her black rot iron headboard. The heavy dark blue curtains were pulled tightly over her windows, blocking out the sunlight from her glittering cave. Band posters and paintings she had done herself were hung up on the wall, while candles and other little trinkets cluttered the tops of her cherry wood dressers and tables.

No black, just as she had promised her dad. Well…except for the moon-and-star designs she had painted on the walls in black glitter acrylic paint. She smiled when she remembered how he'd come in right after she'd gotten done with painting them. Oh, the look on his face had been priceless. He'd been so angry that he'd grounded her from her painting for a month, which had nearly killed her. Painting and sketching were forms of stress reliever for Amber; things that could take her mind off of anything that was troubling her. Her latest subjects of interest for her artwork though would surely send her father up the roof.

The thought of sketching these subjects gave her that hungry feeling in the pit of her stomach; her hands were just itching to hold a charcoal pencil. Bending over slightly, Amber picked up her messenger bag and started to rifle through it, looking for her sketch book and pencil case. After finding them, she through her bag back onto the floor and reached for another remote on her dresser. This one turned on her TV. She put it on mute, only the image of the afternoon news letting anyone know that it was actually on. Amber smiled in satisfaction before starting to flip open her book to a blank page. She liked having the TV on while she was drawing, even if she preferred the sound of her music over the people talking.

She started to sketch out the figures quickly, letting the picture take form as it pleased. Amber never really knew what she was going to sketch before she did. Sometimes it seemed like the pencil in her hand had a mind of its own and was just guiding her hand to do its biding. But Amber wasn't complaining; her spontaneous drawings were always so much better than her thought-out ones. Suddenly, a bright flash of light from the TV caused Amber to glance up from her sketch. But when she did, her eyes flew right back up to the screen and stayed glued on it intently. On the screen, an emergency news bulletin had been posted. A sharply-dressed newswoman behind a large oak desk was saying something to the camera while the picture beside her summarized her words. Amber reached over subconsciously and pressed the volume button on her remote, turning the sound up before turning the sound on her iHome down.

"Another vampire attack was reported late this afternoon right around the slums near the Boundary Line area. A young woman in her early twenties was found by the Patrol drained completely of her blood. The only proof of the suspected killer was the four-point incision mark on the side of her neck. The bite was said to have severed her jugular, cutting right through muscle and tendons. My sources aren't releasing the name of the victim yet, only that she is being transferred to the city morgue as we speak. The Patrol is still on the look out for the possible attacker, hoping to kill him before anymore murders can be committed." The woman explained, solemnly. "All citizens near the Boundary Line area are advised to seek immediate shelter during sunset and anoint their doorways with a cross to prevent any vampire intrusions. Keep tuned in for any more information on the latest attack. You can also read about it on our website at www. lawrencehillnewsteam. org/vampireattackandprotection.html for the latest in vampire protection methods. Back to you, Tom."

Amber turned off her TV in a daze, her music playing quietly in the background.

_Not another killing…this is the fifth one this week!_ She thought, hopelessly.

The city of Lawrence Hill wasn't only known for their super corporations or large economy intake. No, Lawrence Hill was one of the few cities in the U.S. where vampires lives along side humans. It had been like this many years before Amber's father was even born. It was said that when the founders of the city came to this location, they found it over-run with the night-walking, blood-drinking menace. Even though it seemed like a ludicrous things to fight over, the founders actually discovered a way to control the vampires. With electric shock and crucifixes, they bound the beasts to their will. Now, the vampires were all kept in one part of the city…in the Vampire District or the "Vampire Ghetto" as some people preferred to call it. An elite squad of protectors, the "Night Patrol", was suppose to keep the Boundary Line between the vampire territory and that of the humans secure, so no vampires could sneak into the city.

But even that line of defense seemed to be failing now. More and more attacks were occurring every week, more innocent people were dying. The news tried to make people think they were safe by anointing crosses on their doorways and advising them not to invite strangers into their home. But, the crosses would only work if your faith was strong, and the vampires could just control you into inviting them in if they wished. The truth was, no one was actually safe anymore. The vampires were strong and ruthless, even more so when they were hungry. Prison cells couldn't even hold them, so even if they did catch a vampire, they'd have to kill it immediately.

They frightened Amber to the core…and yet, she still felt that old natural curiosity towards these strange creatures. When she was younger, Amber had dreamed about meeting a real vampire and of even becoming one herself. Her father had put an end to that of course by showing her pictures of the cases he had taken in against a few vampires. Some of those still haunted her to this day. And even though she hoped she'd never actually run into one on a dark lonely night in some alley, Amber still had the craving…the desire to be bitten. Maybe…just maybe then she wouldn't be considered a freak.

Amber just shook her head of that notion. She couldn't allow herself to picture being a mistress of the night, of slaking her lust for blood on some poor innocent bystander that just happened to cross her path. Cause every time she actually thought about taking someone's blood, Maggie popped into mind. That sweet and angelic little girl with sun-golden curls framing her face smiling up at her before her face contorted with pain as Amber sunk her fangs into her delicate little neck. Or Holly…her body laying limp in some alley, flesh turning blue from lack of oxygen and her blood smeared all over Amber's mouth. These thoughts sent chills down Amber's spine and she shook her head vigorously to get rid of the images. No, she could never be a vampire. They were loathsome and vile…

Then, Amber's eyes drifted down to her sketch. It was of a waltzing couple, faces covered by masquerade masks. The pair started off small at the very corner on the left side of her pager and slowly grew bigger as they went through the various steps until they reach the middle. The man had his partner tilted back into a low dip, holding her in his arms gently, while the woman's head was bent back in ecstasy, hair cascading down towards the ground in silken curls. But then, the picture became disturbing for when you looked closer, as the man bowed his head towards her neck, a pair of double incisors could be seen protruding from his upper row of teeth.

_A Vampire's Waltz…_ Amber thought, grimly.

This was her obsession…these were her subjects. In her drawings, the vampires became less frightening and more…intoxicating. The handsome young man in the drawing made her blood boil and skin crawl with desire. As she stared at the sketch longer, she started to see herself as the woman bent back in his arms. Amber closed her eyes, imagining herself in the perfect black and blue gothic dress; black hair pulled back and curled elegantly….and her masked Romeo dipping her into a graceful pose… Then, she could almost feel his warm, tantalizing breath upon the arch of her throat.

And then, her most perfect daydream was broken when someone knocked on her door. Amber's eyes snapped open and to her disappointment, she found herself back in her room and not in the arms of her handsome night walker. Another knock sounded from her door, this time a little more impatiently. Her aqua eyes glared at the slab of wood, a low growl emitting from her mouth as she switched off her music. She laid her sketch book down and swung herself off of her bed, stomping over to the door. Just as the person started to knock again, Amber unlocked her door and threw it open, snapping out irritably, "WHAT?!"

She stared out ahead of her and saw nothing but the railing that looked out over the lower level of the house.

"Um, Sis…" A tentatively quiet voice piped up below her.

Amber looked down in the direction the voice had come from and her eyes softened immediately. Maggie stood before her, looking a little unsure now after her older sister's out-burst. A smile found its way to Amber's now-fading red lips as she knelt down slightly.

"What is it, Maggie?" She asked, gently.

"Do you think…you could maybe…help me on my…homework… please?" Maggie replied, choosing her words carefully as she looked down at the ground and swiveled the toe of her foot cutely.

The smile on Amber's face grew warm as it only could for Maggie.

"Of course I can." Amber answered, standing back up and offering her hand.

Maggie looked up with a bright smile, the little gap in her upper row of teeth where she'd just lost a tooth made it seem that much more adorable. She took her sister's hand, her chubby little fingers entwining with the longer pale, gloved ones. They walked down the hall together, hand in hand; Maggie skipping happily as she said, "I just don't understand my times tables, Sissy! Their so much harder than the teacher told us they'd be!"

"Don't you worry, Margaret! By the time I'm through teaching you, you'll be saying your times tables in your sleep!" Amber announced.

But then…there were times like these when Amber wouldn't give up the world for a _hundred_ handsome vampires…

**A/N: Well, I hoped you liked it. This chapter was actually hard to write, but I think I did good. An abusive boyfriend, a down-grading father, and a city over-run with vampires...what will I add next? I hope I did good with describing Amber's fear/obsession with vampires. She supposed to be terrified of them, yet have a secret wish to find out what they're really like. Well, I better get to work on the next chapie. Review please!**


	3. Let's Dance Until Our Feet Bleed

**A/N: Hi again, everyone! Well, here's the next chapie! This one is long, but all for a good reason! Hope you enjoy!**

Let's Dance Until Our Feet Bleed

It was a Thursday night. A night that Amber would look back on one day and discover that it had been that one ordinary Thursday evening spent in her father's townhouse where the seeds would be sewn that would soon change her life forever. But for now, it was just a quiet and pleasant little night. Her father had to work late at the office, which meant she possibly wouldn't see him until tomorrow night. He was always gone before she and Maggie woke up. Amber didn't actually know if he really was at his office when he said he was. I mean…for all she knew he could be at some illegal strip club or something. Though, the thought of her dad sitting in a strip club like the one in the Panic! At The Disco's music video seemed a little too far-fetched and hilarious to be true. But it still brought a smile to her face.

At the moment, Amber was just sitting on her bed, music blaring as usual. This time her band of choice was _Within Temptation_, a small group of _Evanescence_ wannabe's but still good. Anyway, she sat with a stained-white towel under her feet with cotton balls stuck between her toes as she tried to re-paint her nails. Amber carefully applied the black glitter polish to her toe nails, keeping her balance perfectly as she hunched over to do her work. She hummed the tune to _All I Need_ cheerfully, even though it was really a sad song. Just as she used the tip of her fingernail to clear away a little over-paint on her skin, a loud banging noise came from the shaded window to her right, scaring Amber so bad that she made a huge slash of polish go across her pale foot. She cursed under her breath angrily, looking over her little accident to see if she'd gotten any on her bedspread.

"Amber?! Amber, I know you're in there! I can hear your shitty music playing!" Holly's muffled voice called from behind the window. "Come on, come here and open this window!"

Amber's eyes flicked over to the window, one black eyebrow twitching irritably. She contemplated just leaving her friend out there to hang on the drain pipe.

"AMBER, get your ass over here and open up this fucking window!!!" Holly shouted, starting to sound annoyed.

Amber gave an agitated huff and threw herself off of her bed, setting the nail polish bottle down on her dresser before going over to the window. She threw the curtains open and glared down at her black and pink-haired friend, who glared right back up at her.

"So, are you going to just stand there staring like an idiot or are you going to actually let me in?!" Holly yelled, clutching to the drain pipe for dear life.

"I don't know." Amber replied with a smirk, crossing her arms over her chest. "How do I know you're not a vampire coming to seduce me into giving up my life's nectar!?"

"Ah, come on, Amb! You know it's me!" Holly complained in a whining tone.

"I'm waiting…convince me and I'll let you in!" Amber taunted.

"Urgh, fine! My name is Holly Ann Porter. I'm sixteen years old, have parents who work with your father, who is the State's Attorney, and last year I put a pb&j sandwich in your portable CD player and you made me go out and buy you a new one. There, is that good?!" Holly exclaimed.

"Very. I'll let you in." Amber chuckled, leaning over and unlocking her window.

When she threw it open, Amber back up as Holly scurried into her room. The shorter young woman glared up at her as she brushed leaves and dirt off of her brilliantly-colored clothes.

"You really need to get me a ladder or something. That drain is really starting to become a pain in my ass." Holly told her. "And you need to wash the outside of your window. It's filthy!"

"I'll tell the staff." Amber assured her, still smirking. "As for the ladder, you could just use the door like any other normal person."

"But that's just it…I'm not a normal person. And besides, I didn't know if your dad was home or not. You know as well as I do he doesn't like me coming around here without previous notice." Holly explained, going over to examine her reflection in the mirror of Amber's vanity.

"He's at the office, where he'll probably be all night." Amber explained with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Good news for you I guess." Holly stated a smirk of her own appearing on her face.

"Yeah." Amber agreed with a laugh before picking her nail polish bottle back up again and settling herself on her bed. "So what brings you here to my humble abode?"

"Well, let's just say that you're going to be singing my praises for a very long time." Holly told her, spinning around with a flourish.

"Really…and why is that?" Amber asked as she used some nail polish remover to take the color off of her foot.

"I just got word of the greatest new club this town has ever seen. Trust me, Amber, this place is so great you'll even love it." Holly explained, barely containing her excitement as she hung off of one of the iron posts of Amber's bed.

"Holly, you know I hate clubbing. All they ever play is rap and that stuff is murder on my ears." Amber remarked, blankly, not looking up from her paint job. "This place won't be any better than the others."

"See, now…that's where you're wrong, my friend." Holly argued, her smirk becoming mischievous. "Check it out!"

Pulling out a folded-up piece of paper out of the pocket of her dark skinny jeans, Holly slapped down a flyer on Amber's bed. Amber looked up from her toes and decided to humor Holly. She screwed the cap back onto her polish and picked up the flyer, unfolding it carefully. It was black with gory red letters spelling out the club's name and a cartoon like picture of the building.

"The Covenant," Amber read aloud, "woo, real spooky, Holly! Now, why should this club interest me?"

"Come on, Ambie, tell me this isn't your scene! It's so you. A nice gothic club where other people _just_ like you will be gathering to enjoy the pounding rock music and dark private corners to bond with someone in for all eternity. Doesn't that sound wonderful to you?!" Holly encouraged her eagerly.

"Yeah, I guess…wait a minute! 25 W. Rolland Avenue?! Holly, this place is closed to the Boundary Line area! No way am I going now!" Amber replied, firmly, throwing the flyer onto the ground.

"Aw, come on, Amber! I thought you were braver than that!" Holly whined, picking the flyer back up. "So what if it's close to the Boundary? The Patrol does a good job keeping it secure."

"Holly, haven't you been paying attention to the news? There have been _seven_ killings this week alone, one even on the same street that new club is on. No way, we're not going!" Amber said, shaking her head as if her word were final.

"You're such a kill joy sometimes, Amber!" Holly complained. "And what do mean we're not going? Of course we're going! You need a night out, Amber! When was the last time you actually left this house on the weekend?" Holly asked.

Amber didn't answer. It had been awhile. She thought it had been at least a month ago when Matt had taken her for a cruise in the new Ferrari he'd gotten for his birthday. Maybe, Holly was right. Maybe she did need a night out of the house.

"Fine, we'll go see a movie instead. I heard that flick _Juno_ was really good." Amber suggested, settling back onto her pillows.

"Noooo, I don't want to go see _Juno_! I already know it's good because _I'm_ the one that told you it was! Come on, Amber, let's just go to this club! It'll be so much fun! Come on, please, we'll take our batons with us, okay? If we keep them in our purses, we'll be alright." Holly begged, getting down on her knees at the foot of her bed and giving her the puppy-dog look.

Amber groaned in annoyance. She _hated_ that look.

"Holly, you know that look has no affect on me. My sister can do the same one." Amber told her, putting a hand to her forehead.

"I know, that's who taught it to me." Holly replied. "Now, please!"

"Urgh, you're so annoying sometimes!" Amber grumbled.

But the more she looked at that pathetic-looking face, the more Amber felt herself giving in. Holly must have seen it too because she started to smirk through her pleading look.

"Alright, fine! I'll think about it, okay?" Amber sighed, heavily.

"Yes!" Holly exclaimed, jumping up and punching the air.

"I said I'll think about it! That's it! I'll have to find a sitter for Maggie if my dad's not home or pay one of the staff extra to watch her." Amber put in, frowning at her friends eagerness.

"The Covenant Club here we come!" Holly chanted, jumping onto Amber's bed, nearly knocking her over as she kissed her right on the mouth.

"Yuck!" Amber exclaimed, whipping her lipstick onto her hand.

"Now that's over with…do you have any neon green polish?" Holly asked, looking through the nail polish basket on the night stand. "My bright yellow is chipping off."

"I think there's a bottle on my vanity." Amber answered, nodding to her right.

"Thanks." Holly chimed, happily. "Now, let's talk about getting you interested in some better music."

_Here we go…_

Amber was rudely awakened by the end of class bell, startling her out of an otherwise pleasant sleep. She looked around and saw her classmates leaving and stretched her arms up into the air before swinging herself out of her desk and picking up her bag. As she stepped out of the classroom door, yawning widely, Amber was nearly tackled to the ground by Holly.

"Someone must have fallen asleep during their Geometry lecture again." Holly stated, noticing the out-of-it expression on Amber's face.

"Thanks for stating the obvious, Hol." Amber yawned, moodily.

"Hey, cheer up, Girl! Tonight we're going to dance our hearts out 'til we can't dance no more!" Holly told her, grinding a little against the still-sleepy Amber.

"Yeah, about that…"

"Aw, come on! Don't tell me you're chickening out again!" Holly whined as they continued on down the hall.

"I'm just not sure how safe it is, Holly." Amber tried to reason with her. "I mean, even if we do take our batons and garlic mace, it still could be dangerous."

"Oh, we'd be fine! Would you just relax already?!" Holly suggested.

"Besides, I haven't seen Matt all weekend and he might want to come over tonight." Amber replied, ruffling her bangs that hung down in her face.

She'd tied her hair back today in a messy ponytail with her bangs handing down in her face to almost cover her eyes. Her aqua blue orbs flashed brilliantly through the black strands, staring blankly out in front of her.

"Amber, you could have a much better time with me clubbing than waiting around for that loser." Holly told her, seriously. "You know that."

Amber almost replied with "I know", but she swallowed the words back before they had a chance to leave her mouth. If she heard herself say it, then Amber would have to go through the whole why-am-I-even-still-with-him struggle again. And she was simply too tired to do that right now.

"I don't know, Holly…"

Then, just as they turned the corner, the two girls saw something that made them both stop in their tracks. Matt had some thin, little blonde cheerleader pinned up against the lockers in the hallway. They were making-out with each other vigorously, touching each other in places that should have been saved for private. Holly's gray eyes looked up at Amber's face almost afraid to see how the other had reacted. But Amber's face was surprisingly calm; her expression almost eerily blank. But in her eyes, Holly could see the pain and torture that her friend was going through at the moment. She almost wanted to weep for her because it seemed Amber was unable to do so.

"Come on, Hun." Holly murmured, softly, taking Amber by the arm gently. "Let's go another way."

Amber nodded curtly and whirled around on the heel of her knee boots before Matt had seen her staring. Though, he probably wouldn't have cared anyway. Amber only felt a slight ache in her heart at the moment. It would have been worse if this had been the first time Amber had caught Matt cheating on her, but the sad truth was…it wasn't. Right now she just felt used and angry…oh, so unbelievably angry. She was half tempted to whirl right around and go back to him, but only to slack him so hard that he'd be knocked into the next. But no…she had a better idea. Instead of publicly humiliating him, Amber was going to play at his level. Holly had been staring up at her worriedly for the past two or three minutes as Amber said nothing, but now she was becoming overly-anxious as a wicked smirk blossomed on her face.

"You know what, Holly? You were right. I am being too much of a coward." Amber told her.

"Really? I mean…I was only joking." Holly replied, slightly confused.

"So, tonight we're going to go out and raise Hell!" Amber announced. "We're going to The Covenant Club!"

For the first time since she'd heard about the new club's opening, Holly was suddenly not so thrilled about going…

_I knew this wasn't a good idea… _Amber thought as she and Holly came up from the subway station and out onto Rolland Avenue. _What was I thinking?!_

The girls had gotten ready at Amber's house; Holly coming home with Amber right after school. She'd brought a duffle bag of stuff needed for their night out to school even though Amber hadn't approved of going until that afternoon. Holly's parents thought she was just staying the night at Amber's for a sleep-over. Amber's father on the other hand was at a banquet tonight for a charity, mainly just to kiss some ass for election purposes. The head-maid, Esther, was looking after Maggie for the night, which was perfect really seeing as how Maggie loved Esther to death. Besides, Esther being in charge meant major cookie-baking time.

So here they were: two teenage girls walking down possibly the _most_ dangerous street in the city. Yeah, this was exactly how Amber wanted to spend her night. And Holly had gone all-out for the "grand" opening of this new club. In addition to her already-hot pink streaks, Holly had added temporary neon purple ones. And if this hadn't been enough, she had donned some dark purple contacts. How she had gotten her hands on these…Amber hoped she would never find out. But now, her friend looked like she was some kind of out-landish pixie. Her black and neon streaked clothes didn't really help either. Holly's black and lime green striped gloves were starting to give Amber a headache.

Amber on the other hand…had just stuck with black and blue for tonight. The silver chains on her skirt bounced and jangled happily in time with her steps. The dim light from the street lamps caught off of her blue sparkly mascara, which just made her brilliantly-colored eyes stand out all the better. As the two got in line to be admitted into the club, Amber started to fidget. She looked around at all the other gothic and emo teens around her, some with vibrantly-colored mohawks…others with shaved heads and way-too many piercings. Amber really had no way of knowing if any of these people were vampires in disguise or not.

And that's what scared her.

Holly looked back at her friend and saw she had taken her beloved hat off and was now toying with it nervously. The eccentric-looking girl sighed with a roll of her wild-colored eyes and grabbed onto Amber's shoulders, shaking her slightly to get her attention.

"Will you calm down?!" Holly hissed, irritably. "Do you want to look suspicious or something?"

"No…I'm sorry. It's just I don't like the fact that we're so close to…you-know-where." Amber whispered, anxiously.

"Well, just try to relax." Holly murmured back, her tone softening slightly. "Do you really want to draw attention to us?"

"No, but I already think you've got that covered for us, Hol." Amber commented, putting her hat back on her head carefully.

"You're just jealous that you can't look this great in bright colors, Miss I-Look-Like-Death." Holly replied, pulling her gloved up her arms farther so they didn't sag.

"Next!" A big burly-looking bouncer called, gruffly.

Holly took a hold of Amber's hand and pulled her up to the guy. He looked the two young girls over with a suspicious quirk of an eyebrow.

"ID's?" He said as more of a command than a request.

They both pulled out their fake, yet very-real-looking identification cards that Holly's cousin in Philly had made for them. The bouncer took them and lowered his sunglasses to look them over. Amber bit back the yelp that was rising rapidly in her throat. His irises were an off white with red streaks shooting through them. He looked more like a demon or possessed being than anything else. After looking over the two fake ID's intently, the bouncer gave them back with a grunt. He opened the door and let them pass. Holly flashed him a cheerful smile and pulled a still-uncertain Amber behind her.

They descended down into a dark stairwell, the acrid smell of metal heavy in the air. Amber nearly gagged as they continued to make their way down into the club, the music pulsing up beneath their feet. A dim blue light flickered from an open doorway at the bottom of the stairs.

"Almost there." Holly whispered in encouragement, almost as if she knew Amber's thoughts of running back up the stairs.

Once they reached the ground floor and walked through the door, the two girls stood in amazement. This club was indeed worth the risk. Even though they appeared to be in the basement of the building, it was as spacious and large as the building was tall. Fog machines were running, causing the dance floor to gain an eerie look with the dim blue, purple, and red lights flashing from the rafters. The DJ station was set up on a rather large stage that looked like it belonged in a run-down opera theater. Red velvet curtains hung down from the ceiling, some of the fabric torn and faded. Parts of them slumped down into a slant as if they had been pulled from their rungs. The platform of the stage had those old fashion golden holders that held tall white candles to light the stage with. It looked almost medieval. Balconies were set up among the walls, almost over-run with patrons dancing and swaying to the beat of _Linkin Park_.

"See…I told you it'd be worth it!" Holly shouted over the deafening music.

"Yeah, it's really…something!" Amber replied, unsurely.

"Come on! Let's get out there and dance!" Holly exclaimed, pulling Amber roughly through the crowd.

Amber didn't even bother to apologize to the many people she collided with. They would have just cussed her out anyway like they were now. Once they were in the middle of the sea of dancers, Holly stopped and started grinding against random people, not caring about the dirty or lustful looks she got. But Amber just stood there, not sure of what she should do. She was telling the truth when she said she hated clubbing, and even though this club actually played music she liked, Amber just felt awkward and out of place. Holly seemed to notice this and grabbed onto both of Amber's hands, pulling her right up against her body.

"Come on, Girl! Shake your booty! Shimmy! Do something!" Holly encouraged her.

"Holly, I just don't feel comfortable with this!" Amber told her.

"Aw, what happened to the kick-ass woman who was going to show her boyfriend what he was missing?! Where did the party girl go?! I want her back!" Holly complained, moving her body suggestively against her friend. "Come on, Amber, move that fabulous body of yours! I know you can dance, so don't pretend like you can't! Just let go!"

Amber gave a great heavy sigh as she placed her gloved hands on Holly's hips and started to move along with her. Soon, it felt like Amber's body had taken on a will of its own. Her hips and feet were moving to the beat as if it came second nature to her. She tossed her head back letting her raven black locks fly about messily. The lyrics to _In the End_ swam in her mind in a haze. Holly smirked as she continued to dance dirtily with her friend. If anyone were to look at them, it might have appeared as if they were lovers the way they moved suggestively against one another, but it was just good "clean" fun to them.

The two stayed out on the dance floor for what seemed like hours when it had really only been twenty minutes before they made their way over to the bar. They stumbled out of the crowd, laughing madly about some joke as they took up two empty seats. Amber had mellowed out a little, becoming more at ease with the club and almost forgetting that there could be possible blood-drinkers in the same room as her. A girl in a fishnet top with a spiked dog collar around her neck came over to them and asked boredly, "What can I get you two?"

"The club special for both of us! As dirty as you can make it!" Holly announced, slamming a whole wad of cash down on the bar.

"Coming right up!" The woman replied, eyes widening excitedly when she saw the money.

"That might not have been the best idea in the world. You know I'm a cheap drunk, Holly." Amber warned, half-heartily.

"I know, that's what's going to make this party that much more electrifying!" Holly said with a mischievous smirk on her face.

"Two Atomic Blood Smoothies!" The waitress yelled setting two clear goblets down in front of them.

"Thanks!" Holly responded, throwing the woman her money before picking up her drink.

Amber picked hers up warily. The woman wasn't kidding when she used the term "Blood". The liquid that filled the goblet certainly did look like blood to her. She swirled a long pale finger in the drink. It was thick like blood too. Holly held her goblet out towards Amber in a toasting gesture.

"To good friends and a fantastic evening filled with enchantment and mystery!" Holly proposed.

Amber clinked her glass with Holly's and raised it to her lips hesitantly before closing her eyes and taking a short swig. The thick burning liquid ran down the back of her throat smoothly. Amber coughed a little, the concoction being heavily laced with vodka and something that was either tequila or possibly rum. She couldn't be sure. Amber couldn't really tell the difference between types of alcohol. Unless she got pressured into it or had a really shitty day, Amber hardly ever drank. If Maggie ever saw her sister drunk, she'd get the wrong impression of what you could do when you turned seventeen. But when she took another sip of her drink, she found it was a little more bearable than the last. Holly continued to smirk as her friend soon downed the whole concoction when she herself wasn't even a fourth of the way done with hers. Amber ordered another…and two soon became three…and three became five…and by then no one was counting anymore.

Holly watched in amusement as Amber swayed uneasily on her stool with a lazy, yet wistful smile on her face. She was royally pissed drunk now! As her friend tried to strip off her cropped denim jacket, Holly caught a really hot-looking emo guy with two different colored eyes staring at her. He nodded slightly at her in greeting, flipping some of his long, greasy black hair out of his face. Holly smirked back in return before turning back to Amber, who had successfully gotten her jacket off and was now loosening the blue lacings on her corset top.

"Will you be alright by yourself for awhile? There's a guy across the bar that's checking me out that I just might want to bring home with me later." Holly explained as Amber pulled her skirt lower down on her hips to the point where you could see her flat stomach and hints of a tattoo on her lower back when she turned around.

"Surrrrrre…" Amber slurred, waving her hand dismissively as she stumbled back slightly from drunkenness, "go 'ave fun with what's-his-faze. I'm going to go baaack and dance agains."

"Have fun! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Holly called over her shoulder.

"That leaves room for a lot of thingz then!" Amber called back as she staggered onto the dance floor uneasily.

Holly chuckled on the inside. Even when she was wasted out of her mind, Amber still had a sharp tongue. Hopefully, she'd be putting that tongue to better use while she was out there dancing. As Holly smoothly slid into seat next to the hot emo guy, he looked her over hungrily with heavily kohled eyes.

"Is your friend going to be okay by herself?" He asked, though not really seeming all that interested in Amber. "I've got a friend that might like to take a bite out of her."

"She'll be fine." Holly assured him with an alluring smile.

Amber was having the time of her life. As she swayed amongst all the hot and sweaty bodies, Matt and his abusive nature was the farthest thing on her mind. She had never been more care-free than she was at that moment. The thought of being separated from Holly didn't even bother her either; she was just too happy and drunk to notice. Just as _Vampire Heart_ by _H.I.M. _was coming to its climax Amber was about to wander off towards the bar again for another Atomic Smoothie when she suddenly felt an eerily strong presence behind her. Every hair on the back of her neck stood up as she felt her body become instinctively frozen. A chilling puff of breath ghosted across the nape of her neck as a voice hissed in her ear hauntingly, "_What are you doing here_?"

The voice was low and husky. It made Amber's head swim and caused her to be even more incapable of thinking straight. The breath had been knocked out of her lungs temporarily and now it was hard for her to breathe correctly. Amber felt as if some great weight had been pushed down upon her and then, lifted as suddenly it had been put on. She shook her head to clear it, bangs falling down into her eyes again. Ever so slowly, she turned around to see who had spoken to her. But when she did, Amber felt the breath get knocked out of her again for there was no way that this person, or more specifically guy, could be human. He was just so…beautiful.

He stood at a towering height of 6' 3'', and even though Matt was taller by two inches, this guy seemed to make her feel even smaller. His lithe form was covered by black skinny jeans and a plain black hoodie. A necklace of black cord hung about his neck with a good-sized onyx rock glittering omniously from it. He was almost deathly pale, as if he had never seen sunlight before, which made his skin appear to glow amongst all his black clothing. A pair of hellish black eyes glared intently down at Amber, outlined perfectly with black eyeliner. His hair was black too, a little shaggy but cut to neatly frame his face. Blood red streaks had been drawn through the dark locks and also stood out vibrantly. Long, choppy red bangs fell down into his eyes, making them appear that much more piercing. And even though he looked intimidating and menacing, Amber had to admit she had never seen anyone who made her heart stop quite like this guy.

_Damn, he's gorgeous!_ She thought, still mesmerized by his presence.

The mysterious guy just continued to stare her down, the look in his eyes not friendly in the least. Amber blinked up at him and discovered that her mouth was hanging open slightly, so she hurriedly closed it and gulped.

"I _asked_…what are you doing here?!" He repeated, icily.

"I…uh…I," Amber stuttered, lamely, unable to really find her voice.

"It's not safe here! You have to leave immediately!" He told her, sternly, like a father scolding a child.

And that's the way it sounded in Amber's mind, too, which caused her mind to become a little more sober. Her aqua eyes narrowed beneath the brim of her hat and she glared defiantly up at him. She wasn't sure whether it was all the alcohol in her system or just the thought of being told what to do, but Amber sure as hell wasn't going to let some stranger boss her around, no matter how good-looking he was.

"Why should I?!" She sneered back. "I'm having fun! I don't want to go! Now, leave me to my dancing, Pretty Boy!"

Amber turned her back on him and started to walk off when she felt a chilling hand wrap around her wrist and hold her fast to where she was. That same cold breath brushed against her neck again as the strange guy growled, "Only a foolish little girl wouldn't listen to the voice of reason! I know you sense the danger in this club too! It's been pushed way down inside you and nearly forgotten, but I know it's there! Now, you really must leave!"

"Nope, I don't think so!" Amber replied, stubbornly, as she started to sway her hips to the music again.

"Listen, you stupid girl!" He shouted angrily. "If you don't leave now, your life could be in danger!"

"I think you're just being a big party pooper!" Amber stated in a sing-song voice.

"Leave now!"

"Uh-uh! No way!" Amber remarked as _Going Under_ by _Evanescence_ came on. "Besides, this is my song."

"This won't _be_ your song anymore if you're not alive to listen to it anymore!" He warned her, almost starting to sound desperate. "This place isn't safe for humans!"

"Then why are you here?!" She asked without thinking.

The guy stiffened, but didn't answer, and Amber didn't really notice. She just continued to dance and grind to the music as the stranger held onto her wrist firmly. But then, with an irritated snarl, the guy whipped her around as if she weighed no more than a rag doll. Amber stared up at him with wide bewildered eyes as he glared down at her fiercely.

"What will it take to make you leave?!" He seethed, just barely containing his temper.

The stunned look left Amber's face as a mischievous smirk that rivaled that of Holly's twisted its way onto her dark red lips. With her free hand, she walked her fingers tantalizingly up his shoulder before gently brushing his throat. The guy stiffened and then, it was his turn to look stunned. Amber had gone from a witless girl to a fiery minx in two seconds flat. She stared up at him seductively and purred, "You could dance with me."

The shock left his face and the cold glare came back into place defensively. He stared down at her uncertainly, almost sizing her up to decide whether it was worth it or not. It almost looked like he was contemplating throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her out when he sighed and asked, "If I agree to one dance, will you promise to leave and never come back?!"

"Whatever you want! Just dance with me!" Amber answered, her tone suddenly becoming pleading.

The mystery guy gave another heavy sigh before loosening his grip on her wrist. Amber smirked in triumph only to let out a surprised shriek when he suddenly pulled her firmly up against him. Shock nearly clouded her eyes, but that was before Amber felt the lower half of his lean form grind up against hers. She threw her head back as a guttural moan was ripped from her throat. Without missing a beat, she started to grind up against him too. The two danced together in perfect harmony, moving with each other as if they were one. It was almost as if they could read each other's mind. Soon, it was only them in their own little world, getting lost in the music and each other.

Now I will tell you what I've done for you  
50 thousand tears I've cried.  
Screaming, deceiving and bleeding for you  
And you still won't hear me.  
_Going under_  
Don't want your hand this time

I'll save myself.  
Maybe I'll wake up for once

_Wake up for once_  
Not tormented daily defeated by you  
Just when I thought I'd reached the bottom

I'm…dying…again  
I'm going under

_Going under_  
Drowning in you

_Drowning in you_  
I'm falling forever

_Falling forever_  
I've got to break through  
I'm going under

Amber rolled her hips as she turned in a half circle. The guy pulled her back to him, holding her with her back pressed up against his chest firmly. She smirked at his need and moved suggestively against him. His grip tightened noticeably, almost as if he was scared to let her go. Amber turned to stare up into his eyes, to mock him, but what she saw in those endless black depths made her expression turn from taunting to intoxicated. He stared back down at her with that penetrating look, boring deep into her liquid blue orbs as if searching the very recesses of her soul for something. They never broke that intense gaze as they continued to dance so passionately, not separating the connection for one minute. When the dance had begun, both had felt desperation for different reasons: his a fear for her life and wanting to get her out of that club, and hers just a need to feel something…anything again. But now…they were both starting to feel something different…and it definitely wasn't desperation.

Blurring and stirring

The truth and the lies.  
_So I don't know what's real_

So I don't know what's real and what's not

_And what's not_  
Always confusing the thoughts in my head  
So I can't trust myself anymore

I'm…dying …gain

I'm going under

_Going under_  
Drowning in you

_Drowning in you_  
I'm falling forever

_Falling forever_  
I've got to break through

I'm...

So go on and scream  
Scream at me, I'm so far away

_So far away_  
I won't be broken again

_Again_  
I've got to breathe

I can't keep going under

Their faces had grown so close, yet neither of them seemed to notice or care. Amber's eyes became heavily lidded as she felt his frosty breath upon her eager lips. He continued to gaze down at her, but this time with a look of yearning. His eyes flickered to her lips and then, back up to her eyes as if asking…no begging for permission. Amber tilted her head back a little more, angling it so her lips were at a better position for him before giving him the slightest of nods. He licked his pale lips anxiously as he brought a hand up to brush the bangs from her eyes with a feather-light touch. Then ever so slowly, he bent his head closer to hers and paused briefly to where there was only a millimeter of space between their lips. Their breath mingled into one, and Amber's eyes darkened with lust and desire to the point where they were almost as black as his. He stared into her eyes fiercely as if asking her silently if she had any last minute doubts. But all Amber did was close her eyes in submission.

And that's when they took the final plunge…

I'm…dying…again

I'm going under

_Going under_  
Drowning in you

_Drowning in you_  
I'm falling forever

_Falling forever_  
I've got to break through

I'm going under

_Going under_  
I'm going under

_Drowning in you_  
I'm going under

The song ended into perfect silence before the next song came on. But two of the patrons didn't seem to notice. They were too absorbed in each other to pay any attention to anything around them. Amber melted into him as her mystery hottie continued to kiss her tenderly. His kiss was so different from Matt's. Where as Matt's kiss was fierce and brutal, this guy's kiss was gentle and if she dared to say it…loving. Those lips as soft as velvet brushed against hers sensually. They fit so perfectly together, and their rhythm was exact. Amber felt like she wasn't even in her own body anymore. It felt like they where one at that moment. His hands ran up and down her body fluidly, sending chills down her spine. Long, thin fingers played with the edge of her top, pulling it up slightly and brushing over the ring dangling from her navel. Amber moaned into his mouth and without thinking about it, allowing him access to the insides of her mouth.

His tongue swept in without warning, but caressed her just as gently as his lips and hands. Her body went limp against him as their tongues entwined breath-takingly. He held her to him firmly…almost possessively. Even if his touch was strangely frigid, Amber had never felt warmer. She felt so exhilarated! If she had known that kissing a complete stranger had been this good before…

And then, she came falling back down to earth.

Realization dawned on them both at the same moment. They both remembered who they were holding onto and making-out with…complete and utter strangers. The two jumped apart as if the other was on fire. Amber stumbled back slightly; still a little intoxicated from the booze coursing through her bloodstream. She would have felt more confused if she could, but it was as if her mind became clouded again with drunkenness and all she could do was laugh loudly. The strange guy could only stare at her guardedly and grab her gloved hand almost hesitantly.

"Come on!" He called over the music, pulling her along behind him in the direction of the stairs. "We danced, now we have to get you out of here!"

"No, not yet! I gotta get my friend Holly!" She protested, still giggling madly.

"Are you serious?!" He asked, coming to an immediate stop only to turn around and look at her with a mixture of weariness and irritation.

Amber merely nodded her head innocently, grinning up at him cheerfully. He sighed agitatedly before asking, "Okay, where is she?!"

"She was over at the bar when I wandered off to dance again!" Amber replied as he took off at a brisk walk again. "She's got short black hair with purple and pink streaks through it! Oh, and she wears a lot of bright colors!"

He gave a grunt of acknowledgement as he continued to pick his way through the crowd. Amber just let him drag her along behind as if she were just some small child. She looked over his back view and decided that it was almost as satisfying as his front, especially that tight ass of his…A smirk twisted its way onto her lips again as she asked, "So after that dance do I get a number or what?!"

"Huh?!" He replied, coming to a stop again to look around the room before continuing on again.

"You know…a cellphone number…home number…which ever! I don't care!" She rambled on.

"I think it would be best if we just forgot about one another!" He replied, sternly, glancing back at her with those expressive black orbs hidden beneath thick black lashes. "Let's just forget about…_everything_, okay?!"

This time it was Amber who stopped, pulling the guy to a halt as well. He turned to glare back at her only to find her staring idly down at her dusty and scuffed knee boots. When she looked back up, her vibrant eyes shocked him and nearly threw him off balance.

"Can I at least know your name?" She asked, her tone pleading and innocent like a child's.

He stared at her long and hard, his yes clouded over with thought. Finally he turned slightly to lead her on, but managed to say, "It's Jaedon…Jaedon Marsh."

Amber smiled widely and replied, "Jaedon! I like it! I'm Amber Hemingway!"

But Jaedon didn't respond. Instead he came to a stop on the edge of the dance floor right near the bar and pointed with a long pale finger at a young woman who fit Amber's description.

"Is that your friend?" He asked.

"Yeah that's Holly alright!" Amber exclaimed, jumping up and down before taking off at a run and pulling him along behind her.

"Come on! I want her to meet you!" She told him, eagerly, turning back to glance at him.

But when she did, Jaedon was no where to be seen.

When Holly found Amber, she was wondering around near the bar, crying out for some person called "Jaedon". Deciding that she was just overly-drunk, Holly put one of Amber's arms over her shoulder and started to drag her off towards the exit. All the way there Amber just went on and on about this Jaedon guy. She talked about tricking him into dancing with her and feeling like she was on fire and then about being kissed like she had never been before. Holly just brushed it off dismissively, starting to regret buying all those drinks to loosen Amber up. She'd forgotten how annoying she was when she was wasted.

The bouncer gave them a weird look as they left and Amber started to sing a very off-key version of _Baby _by _Ashanti_. It was pretty much the only rap song she knew. They were almost to the subway entrance when Amber doubled over and vomited. Holly grimaced as her best friend heaved onto the street. She held back Amber's mass of black hair and made sure her hat stayed on. Once she was sure her friend was done emptying the contents of her stomach, Holly continued to lead her down towards the subway.

After a long ride on the subway and then a fun-filled trip in a taxi where Amber yet again tossed her cookies, they finally pulled up to Amber's townhouse. Holly paid the fare and a little extra for the driver to get his seats cleaned before leading Amber into the house. The staff members just looked the other way as the two stumbled up the stairs, minding their own business. What happened outside of the house was none of their business, and they never spoke of the condition of their employers when they walked through the door. Once they got up to Amber's room, Holly locked the door behind them and laid Amber on the bed after pulling down the covers.

The drunken teen had become dazed after her last hurling fit and was now sound asleep. Holly pulled off her boots and stripped her down into her underwear so she'd be comfortable while she slept. She pulled the covers over her friend, tucking her in as a sister would. Then after changing into her pj's and curling up on the futon that Amber kept under her bed for her, Holly fell into a deep sleep as well. But little did Holly know was that while she had been flirting with the emo guy at the bar, something inside of her friend had awakened. For the first time in several years, Amber had felt alive again. And all because some strange guy with red-streaked hair and black clothing had agreed to dance with her…

**A/N: Ohhh, it's still giving me goose bumps! I'm really proud of this chapter! It was a little difficult to write, but once I began I just couldn't stop! I hope I gave you a good picture of Jaedon and sorry if I was over descriptive. The music choices in my story are songs and bands I actually like, so please no ridiculing! Check them out if you don't know them. Well, give me good reviews! Bye for now!**


	4. You Can Hit Me, But I Won't Feel It

**A/N: Hia! Well, here's the fourth chapie.Really, it's just a filler, but a chapter none the less. I really don't like it all that much though. All well, read on...**

You Can Hit Me, But I Won't Feel It

It was three days, twelve hours, and thirty minutes since Amber had met the mysterious and unbelievably-handsome Jaedon Marsh at the Covenant Club. He was all she could think about. Her mind was flooded by memories of him, of their dance together, of his kiss…Oh, she swore she could still feel those velvety-soft lips upon hers! And then, before she had known it…he had vanished, as if he had been too good to be true. When Amber had woken up on Saturday morning, she'd had _the_ hang-over to end all hang-overs. Her head felt like she'd been run over by twenty thousand semis. And while she'd lain in bed all day and let Holly take care of her as best she could, Amber'd had to decide whether she'd just dreamt Jaedon up or if he actually existed.

But when she'd told Holly about her dilemma, she had said that Amber had rambled on and on the night before about some guy named Jaedon. After that, Amber refused to talk about him, no matter how hard Holly tried to pry information out of her. She wanted to keep Jaedon to herself, to preserve her perfect memory of him. But now, she just wished she could forget all about him.

When she was even remotely close to Matt, Amber was sickened by the sight of him. Not because of the fact that he cheated on her or beat her physically or mentally, but only because his hair was blonde and not black with red streaks and his eyes were ice blue and not onyx black. What she would honestly give to see Jaedon one more time…to be in his arms again…Amber wanted to feel again. She wanted to have the feelings she got when he'd stared down intently into her eyes. It was torture to only think about him and not actually be able to see him, to talk to him.

Now, she was forced to sit in school all day and daydream about him. Though, it was better than listening to Prof. Alexander preach on and on about the difference between the Greek philosopher Homer and Homer Simpson. But she desperately wanted to go home and draw out another sketch of Jaedon that she had in mind. Suddenly, the bell rang and disturbed her planning. With a groan she picked up her bag and started to walk off to her next class. Amber was halfway across the campus when she realized that she had put her sketch book in her messenger bag this morning. When she looked around and noticed for the first time how nice out it was that late August afternoon, she decided that today was a perfect day to skip class.

Amber headed out towards the soccer field near the student parking lot where no one would be able to see her. She settled down under the oak tree and dug out her sketch book and shading pencils. Flipping through the countless pages of drawings and stopping a few times only to look over the ones she'd done recently of Jaedon, Amber came to a clean page. Time seemed to become non-existent as she sketched out features of Jaedon's face that she was beginning to know by heart. Her drawing became the only thing she saw as her mind wandered back to Friday night. But she just couldn't figure out one thing…

_Why did he want me out of that club so bad?_

Amber knew it was a dangerous place to begin with, but Jaedon seemed to think she was in mortal danger. He'd wanted her out of there ASAP. The question was…why? Amber sighed and paused in her work. She looked up at the clear blue sky wistfully, enjoying the wind blowing through her hair. She really did need to quit thinking about Jaedon so much. It was almost becoming obnoxiously creepy how obsessed she was with him. The drawings and the daydreams _had_ to stop. Maybe he was right. Maybe she did need to forget about him. It would make her life a lot easier. And besides, what if Matt found out…

"Hey, Baby, what ya doing?" A voice whispered in her ear.

Amber uttered a slight shriek as she slammed her sketch book closed and whipped her head around only to meet Matt's subzero orbs. She managed the best fake smile she had. The sexy smirk that adorned his lips used to make her knees weak, but now all it did was irritate her. Why couldn't he have that perfect frown like…Amber shook her head of that immediately. She really had to get used to the idea that all Jaedon would ever be was a wonderful one night fling, and Matt would most likely be her beau, if you could even call him that, for a very long time. It still didn't sound any better to her, though.

"Oh, uh nothing," Amber replied, trying to hide the nervousness in her tone, "just working on some sketches."

"I see…well, I'm sorry I haven't been able to see you all weekend." Matt told her, toying with his bottom lip. "I was so busy with practice that I didn't even get a chance to call you. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course." Amber answered, though she didn't really give a rat's ass if he had been too busy to call.

She'd been busy too…

"So what did you do this weekend?" He asked, nonchalantly.

"Oh, um…you know the usual. Stayed at home, watched Maggie, listened to music…that sort of thing." She said, briefly. "Holly came over Friday night."

"Oh, Amber, Amber, Amber," Matt laughed lightly, stroking the side of her face, "why do you always feel the need to lie to me?"

Amber's eyes grew wide with fright and her whole body went numb. Matt's face suddenly turned hard and his grip on her face tightened painfully. Amber yelped and put a hand to his as if silently asking him to let go.

"You thought I wouldn't find out about your little clubbing excursion on Friday night, didn't you? Don't you know by now that I have eyes all over this city?" Matt asked in a dangerously quiet tone. "You can't so much as take a shit without me knowing about it."

"Okay, so I went clubbing! I don't see what the big deal is!" Amber snapped, irritably, suddenly not in the mood for his bullshit. "It's not like I did anything wrong!"

"Oh, that's where you're wrong, Love." Matt smiled sadistically. "I know for a fact that you were getting hot and heavy with some freak that night at that club!"

"Really?! Where's your proof?!" Amber growled in his face, challengingly.

"Who says I need to prove it to a worthless whore like you?!" Matt sneered back.

"You're the one screwing every girl on campus, so don't you call me a whore when you can't even keep that hot dog of yours in your pants!" Amber shouted at him, ripping her face out of his grasp and gathering her things before starting to walk of.

She didn't even get three feet away when Matt was suddenly on his feet and blocking her way, arms crossed over his chest.

"And where do you think you're going?! I'm not finished with you yet, Bitch!" Matt yelled down at her.

"I'm going home!" Amber told him, angrily, adjusting her bag more securely on her shoulder. "I don't have to put up with this shit!"

"Like hell you are! You're not leaving until you tell me his name!" he seethed, leaning in way too close for comfort.

"I'm not telling you because there's nothing to tell! Unlike you, I don't cheat! I've always been loyal to you, even when you've acted like a royal prick and done everything nasty and hurtful to me that you could possibly think of!" Amber shouted back, pushing him so roughly that it knocked him off balance, her strength even shocking herself for the briefest of seconds. "So just incase you still don't get it, there is no other guy! You're it, Babe! But if you keep it up, you won't have another woman to crawl back to when all your other little whores don't want you anymore! Now, if you excuse me, I have stuff I need to do!"

"No, you stay right where you are, Bitch! I won't take that kind of talk from you!" Matt thundered.

"You know what…I'm through! I've put up with enough of your bullshit for one day!" Amber announced, seethingly. "I'll call you!"

"No, you will not walk away from me! Do you understand?! I _own_ you!" Matt shouted at her, a wild look in his cold eyes.

"You do _not_ "own" me! You've never even "had" me!" Amber argued in protest.

"I wouldn't say that." Matt replied, a malicious smirk taking over his scowl.

Amber's face flushed with embarrassment, but her anger and momentary bravery didn't waver.

"Okay, for five minutes in the back seat of your piece of shit car you "had" me. It was a moment of weakness and stupidity that I'll always regret, but that doesn't mean I'm yours! I'll never _be_ yours, you lousy, good-for-nothing basta…"

_Slap!_

The remaining syllables were lost as the air left Amber's lungs. She fell to the ground like a limp doll, clutching her now-burning right cheek. Matt stood over her, breathing heavily. He shook his right hand that he'd back-handed her with, which most likely stung now. He hadn't exactly hit her lightly. Amber stared at the ground in shock, unable to move. It was as if her whole body was frozen and numb. Her wide aqua eyes stared down at the grass. Matt, noticing her venerability, started to smirk. In his eyes, she was just weak little waif again, not the brave, no-bullshit-taking woman she'd been just a second ago. He'd never admit it, but for a minute he'd actually been scared of her. But now she was right where he wanted her. Matt kneeled down beside her quietly. When he extended a hand out towards her, Amber flinched back, her slight form starting to tremble. This only caused Matt's smirk to grow wider with triumph.

Again, he extended a hand toward her. This time he gently cupped her chin, cradling it in his baby-soft fingers. Amber looked up at him warily, aqua eyes staring through her bangs in fear. Matt's smirk slowly turned into a seemingly-warm smile. He brushed her bangs out of her face and tucked them behind her ear tenderly. His "loving" touches caused her to shake more noticeably, scaring her more than his rough handling of her earlier. She knew Matt was a ticking time bomb, and the smallest wrong move could set him off.

"I'm sorry for hitting you, Love. I just wanted you to calm down." Matt explained to her calmly, even though Amber knew he was lying through his teeth. "I'm sure it won't leave a mark."

Amber knew better than that, too. Part of his knuckle had connected with her cheekbone. And the proud malicious glint in Matt's eyes told her a bruise was already forming on her pale skin. Her eyes drifted down to the grass in shame again. She could feel the anger and disappointment in herself growing in the pit of her stomach. It sickened her that no matter what she did, he always managed to make her a complete and utter wreck. As she thought how easy she had let down her guard, tears started to well up in her eyes. One even escaped, trailing slowly down her bruised cheek. Matt reached out and wiped it away with his thumb.

"Aw, it's okay, Baby, I know you didn't mean any of it." Matt told her, stroking her hair softly. "We'll pretend this never happened, okay? It'll be our little secret."

All Amber could do was nod. She knew what he meant. If she told anyone that he'd hit her, Matt would do more than just smack her next time. Besides, she didn't know who she would tell anyway. No one at school would believe her; they already thought she was a liar and delinquent. Her dad would most likely not care or sat she probably deserved it. Only Holly and Maggie would be concerned, but Holly had learned just not to ask anymore. Matt, taking her silence as a form of submission, leaned forward and kissed her. His kiss was not quite as rough as usual, which was odd to say the least. But even as he worked his lips across hers, Amber didn't kiss back. She merely sat there and took it. On the inside though, she was repulsed. Amber wanted sleek and tender, not fierce and controlling. Matt's kiss no longer stole her breath away. Not after _him_…

When he pulled away, Matt licked his lips and smirked before getting to his feet.

"Delicious, Babe, as always," He commented, toying with his bottom lip, "well, I'll call you. Just remember, Love, you'll always be my girl and no matter what anyone says…you're mine."

With that said, Matt turned and walked off towards the student parking lot. She watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it as he went. After taking a minute to gather herself together, Amber dug into her bag for her compact. She needed to inspect the damage and see if it would be just a matter of putting on more make-up or hiding it cleverly for a couple of days. But once she got it out and opened the lid, Amber knew no manner of make-up could cover this bruise. A medley of purples and yellows blended together as the bruise started to blossom on her cheek. A tiny portion had stretched up to the bottom lid of her eye, kinda blending in with her heavy eyeliner. She reached up to touch it gingerly, seeing if it hurt as much as it looked. And sure enough, when her fingertips brushed over the wound, she cringed noticeably.

After putting away the compact, Amber brushed her hair over to cover that portion of her face. She'd be blind-sighted a little on that side, but it was better than being flooded with questions. Quickly, Amber packed up the rest of her things and headed over to her car. School wouldn't be let out for another fifteen minutes, but at least she'd be early to pick up Maggie.

On the ride to the elementary school, Amber thought of what she was going to do. She couldn't take much more of Matt's violent rampages. But she still couldn't break up with him. He'd never let her go! This she knew with the up-most certainty. Matt truly did believe that he owned her and he'd do everything within his power to make sure he kept his hold over her. But Amber seriously couldn't last much longer smiling and pretending everything was alright. Things hadn't been "alright" for the last two years. And now she was tired, tired of playing the loyal and obedient girlfriend! She just wanted out!

Amber put her elbow up on the sill of the window and rested her head in her hand wearily. She sighed heavily as she ran that hand through her messy bangs. As she stared at the road before her, her mind wandered back yet again to Jaedon. Vaguely, she wondered what kind of boyfriend he would be like. Would he be gentle and compassionate and loving and protective…everything a boyfriend should be? Or was he exactly like Matt, controlling, abusive, and manipulative. A part of her wished she knew, wished she could see him again…just one last time…

Suddenly, the sound of a car horn blaring startled her out of her thoughts. Amber sat straight up in her seats and slammed on her brakes before she collided with another car that was going through the intersection in front of her. The driver gave her an obscene gesture before speeding away. Amber cursed under her breath, hitting her steering wheel as she did so. Why couldn't she get him out of her fucking mind?! Why was his memory so persistent in reappearing? God, she wished he'd just go away and leave her in peace! It would make figuring things out with Matt a whole lot easier.

Finally, Amber pulled up into the circle-drive of the elementary school, which was almost as large of as the high school. Sometimes Amber really hated being a rich kid… A smile took over her solemn features as Maggie came running up to the car. She waved excitedly at her older sister, holding a large piece of blue construction paper in her small hands. Amber reached over and opened the door for her and let Maggie crawl into the large leather seats.

"Hi, Sis!" Maggie greeted her cheerfully, buckling her seat belt.

"Hey there, short stuff! How was your day?" Amber asked, all thoughts of Matt and Jaedon far from her mind now.

"Great! We got to make a picture today of who our adult role model. And we got to use glitter and paint and a whole bunch of other neat stuff!" Maggie explained with a big grin, unfolding her paper. "You want to see?!"

"Sure." Amber replied as they pulled up to a red light.

Maggie handed her the paper with a proud smile on her face. Amber looked down at it and her eyes went wide with shock. Staring right back at her was a little kid's cartoon version of herself. She was even decked out in her favorite hat and combat boots with a black hoodie on and a short denim skirt. An amused smirk was painted on her lips with bright red finger paint as her fingerless hands were set on her hips. The likeness, even though childish, was uncanny. Her sister really knew her too well.

"Wow, this is really good, Maggie!" Amber told her in a quiet, yet awed tone.

"Read what I wrote beside it!" Maggie instructed her, pointing at something written in permanent black marker.

_My older sister is so cool!_

_I want to be just like her when I grow up._

_Except I want to wear pink._

_She never wears pink._

_Amber is so nice._

_I know she'll always be there to love me and help me with my times tables._

Amber sucked back the tears that were building behind her eyes. It was probably the sweetest thing anyone had ever said about her. She leaned over and gave Maggie a tight hug. Maggie wrapped her thin arms around her older sister and squeezed as hard as she could.

"You're the best little sister a gothic teen could ever ask for." Amber whispered to her.

"And you're the best older gothic sister a little girl could ever wish for." Maggie replied back sweetly.

Suddenly another honk sounded behind them. Amber gave Maggie her picture and started to drive again. Even though her days could be terrible and leave her feeling under-appreciated and make her never want to step foot into the world again, there would always be people like Maggie and Holly holding their hands out to help her back up.

**A/N: Well, that was painful! And I'm not talking about the slap either. I think I made Amber seem a little too obsessed with Jaedon.Anyway, I probably won't up-date until Sunday. I'm going out of town and I can never get internet service where I'm going. Just sit tight. I might even have two chapters written by the time I come back. See ya all soon. Don't forget to review!**


	5. You Can Hide, But I Won't Let You Run

**A/N: Hello, my wonderful readers! Sorry that it's been so long since I've updated. I had the bane of all writers, writer's block! Urgh, and then when I did get this chapter all typed up, my computer decided to be gay and wouldn't let me on the internet! Have you ever just wanted to take you computer and throw it out a window and watch a car run over it? Well, that's how I felt at least. Anyway, here's another chapie. Hope you all like it!**

You Can Hide, But I Won't Let You Run

"You should really think about getting that bruise checked, Amb. I don't think it's supposed to look like that." Holly told her, looking up from Amber's laptop at her desk.

Amber gave Holly a warning look before turning back to the mirror on her vanity and continuing to examine her bruise. It was starting to look truly horrid. Instead of purple, it was now an awful shade of bluish black with a tint of green and yellow. The wound didn't really hurt much anymore; it was number than anything else. Because the stupid thing insisted on not going away and was becoming steadily worse, Amber'd had to wear her hair down for most of the week. And she was getting tired of having to wash it every night because it got so greasy during the day from her running her hands through it and everything.

With a sigh, she turned away from her mirror and walked back over to her bed, plopping down and picking up her coal pencil. She looked over the sketch she'd begun the night before. This one was just some random doodle. Jaedon was no longer her constant subject. After her little incident with Matt, Amber had ripped all the pictures out of her sketch book, but she hadn't had the heart to get rid of them, so they were locked away in a secret compartment in her desk. No one could get to them without the key, which was buried in her jewelry case. She hadn't looked at them since then, though, no matter how much she wanted to. Amber was trying to forget him as best as she could, hoping that it would make being with Matt a little more tolerable. But then again…being with Matt took way more than just mere tolerance.

"So, do you wanna go?" Holly asked, breaking through Amber's train of thought.

"Go where?" Amber replied, not looking up from her drawing as she shaded in the girl lying in a puddle of her own blood.

She did have to admit…since she forbade herself from drawing the mysterious clubster, Amber's recent pieces had been a bit…gruesome. Even Holly couldn't stomach them sometimes, which really told you something.

"To The Covenant Club," Holly answered like her friend was acting a little brain-dead, "you really seemed to enjoy yourself last time, so I thought we could go back again this weekend."

"Uh-uh, no way!" Amber told her firmly as if her response was final.

"Oh, come on, I know you're just _dying_ to go back! As long as you don't drink so much this time, I think you'll be fine." Holly said, smirking over her shoulder. "Besides, you're good friend Ryan Simons is going to be there."

Ryan Simons was this generic, waif of a boy who'd had a crush on Amber since the second grade. He would smile and wave at her in the hall every morning and would hunt her and Holly down at lunch just to talk to her. Ryan had already gotten the shit kicked out of him what seemed like fifty million times by Matt for so much as looking in her direction, but he just never seemed to care. He was just so infatuated with her that he had even gone Goth for her last year. Now whenever she saw him, Ryan was sporting chains and spikes and even had a couple of eyebrow piercings. Amber pitied him more than anything because one of these days she was just going to have to let him down…whether it be hard or easy she didn't know.

"Why's he going to be there?" Amber asked, coming to sit up in an Indian style position and looked at her best friend in confusion.

"He told me today that his little band was playing there this weekend." Holly told her. "I got onto the website to see what night they were actually performing."

"That place has a website now?!" Amber asked, shocked more than anything as she jumped off of her bed and walked up to where Holly was sitting.

"The club's actually gotten quite popular. Opening weekend it made enough profit to earn a website." Holly explained as she scrolled down the page. "Oh crap, they're playing on Thursday! Shit…all well, looks like we'll have to just sneak out that night."

"It doesn't matter. We're not going, Holly."

"Oh, not this again!" Holly complained, looking up at her wearily. "I thought we'd gotten past this! Look, that club is not dangerous; you saw that last time! What's you're problem?!"

"I…I…just don't think we should go." Amber stammered, trying to think of excuses. "Besides, they're playing on a school night."

"Since when does that stop you?" Holly asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Um…I have big test in zoology that I need to study for." Amber lied, pathetically.

"Okay, first of all…you're doing just fine in zoology. I know you're first in the class, so I don't think there's anything you need to worry about there. Second, I know you don't give a fucking flying fart in space about school, so using that as an excuse. It's just sad." Holly replied, sternly before a smirk appeared on her face. "And finally, I thought you'd be just itching to go back so you could see that emo dude again."

At the mere mention of Jaedon, Amber when stiff. She didn't deny that she desperately wanted to find him again, knowing that The Covenant Club would probably the best place to start looking. But then when she looked up and saw her reflection in the monitor in front of them, Amber remembered why she couldn't go. If Matt found out…God, she didn't even want to think about what he'd do if she "disobeyed" him again.

"No, we can't go." Amber said, resolutely, shaking her head to clear it.

"That's a shame, 'cause he's in the band with Ryan." Holly sighed, feigning innocence.

"What?!"

"Yeah, Ryan mentioned this new guy in the group. He plays the drums." Holly explained. "Oh, what was his name…Jared? Or was it Jordan?"

"Jaedon? Jaedon Marsh?" Amber asked, a little too eagerly.

"Yeah, I don't know about the "Marsh" part, but "Jaedon" sounds right." Holly answered, smirking at the hopeful and excited expression that Amber was trying to keep off her face.

Amber tried to keep her emotions in check. She didn't want to be irrational, but the thought of seeing Jaedon again was just too good to resist.

"So, what do you say?" Holly asked, looking like a smirking devil about to win someone's soul.

Amber looked up into the mirror once more, brushing away her hair to look at the bruise. The hideous atrocity that was spread across the expanse of her cheek contrasted so greatly with her fair skin tone; part of her worried that it would scar. And as she looked at her last punishment, Holly could tell by the look in her eyes that her decision had already been made.

"Stay close." Amber yelled over the music as she and Holly descended the stairs of The Covenant Club. "I don't want you wandering off."

"Who do I look like to you…Maggie? I'm not eight, Amber. I can take care of myself." Holly responded back.

Amber whirled around and looked her friend in the eye; the look in her vibrant blue orbs had never been more serious.

"Look, I still don't like this place. We're too close to the Boundary Line area, and it's not safe. Half of the people in this room could very well be vampires. You're lucky that we came at all." Amber whispered in a stern tone. "Now, please…just stay close."

"Fine…Mother." Holly muttered following her friend through the crowd of dancers towards where the band was setting up on the medieval-looking stage.

"I don't think it was a good idea to tell Ryan we were coming either. He probably has the wrong idea why I came to watch now." Amber complained.

Holly smirked at this.

"Maybe you should have dressed down a little then." Holly suggested, looking over her short black shirt and black and red lacy top.

Amber glanced back before rolling her eyes. Maybe Holly was right though…her outfit would most likely give Ryan the wrong impression, too. The top was sleeveless and really low cut, leaving a lot of her skin on show. A studded black belt hung from her hips loosely. She'd switched her regular gloves for another pair that were styled more like evening gloves, except the fingers were still cut off and only a bit of elastic looped around her thumb kept it in place, cleverly hidden beneath black lace. She could feel goose bumps appearing on her legs through her black leggings. Whatever they used to produce the fog was making the room very cold. As they broke through the crowd, Amber and Holly spotted a few guys up on the stage, setting up amps and instruments. A guy in all black with the ends of his hair spiked up, making him look like he'd seen a ghost, was tuning his guitar.

"Amber! Holly!" A voice called out excitedly.

Before she knew what happened, Amber was swept up into an awkward hug, spidery thin arms wrapping around her tightly. She heard Holly sniggering behind her and wanted nothing more than to knock her out at the moment. When her hugger pulled back, Amber stared up into a pair of watery green eyes.

"Hi, Ryan." Amber replied with a weak smile.

"I'm so glad you two could make it. Sorry, for the inconvenience, but they were already booked on the weekend." Ryan apologized, running a nervous hand through his long black hair. "You look great by the way, Amber."

"Thanks." She muttered, awkwardly.

"Hey, and what about me?!" Holly exclaimed, throwing an arm over Amber's shoulders casually.

"You're a…very…bright…as usual, Holly." Ryan answered, uncomfortably.

"Aw, you're so sweet, Ry." Holly gushed with a smile. "So, when do you guys go on?"

"As soon as we're set up." He answered, some of the awkwardness giving way to excitement. "This will be our first real gig."

"Well, we wish you guys luck." Amber stated.

"Maybe after we're done with the first set, you and I could get a drink…if that's alright with you, I mean?" Ryan suggested, nervously, hope sparkling in his green eyes.

"We'll see…I don't usually drink on week nights." Amber lied horribly.

"Oh, okay…" He mumbled, a little put out.

"Hey, Ryan," Holly piped up, "where's that new drummer of yours that you were talking about?"

"Oh, Jay? He's over there." Ryan answered pointing towards the drum set.

Amber's heart sped up as she looked over in the direction Ryan had indicated to, but when she saw the guy in question, her heart fell somewhere down around her ankles. This Jay was a big bulky guy with a crew cut who looked like he belonged on the school's football team instead of in a Goth rock band. In other words, he wasn't her Jaedon. Holly looked over and saw Amber's face fall in disappointment.

"Oh, he's not the guy I met here last week." Holly said before Ryan could ask Amber what was wrong. "Too bad, I kinda wanted his number."

"Are you ever going to settle with one guy, Holly?" Ryan asked, curiously.

This made Amber almost smile…almost. Holly wasn't a relationship type person. She was fare too wild and free to be tied down with just one man. Holly had once said that she wanted to become a Mormon just so she could be the first woman to have more than one husband.

"I don't know. The right guy has to come along. But seeing as how that probably will never happen, I have to say…NEVER!" Holly exclaimed, punctuating her point by thrusting her finger up into the air.

Amber shook her head and grabbed a hold of her friend, starting to lead her away.

"We'll leave you to get ready. See you after the show." She called over her shoulder to Ryan.

"Amber, wait…" He tried to yell over the crowd.

But she and Holly were already too far away to hear him.

"Fuck, I knew we shouldn't have come!" Amber cursed, irritatedly. "Damn, now he thinks I'm interested in him!"

"I think you're just upset that your guy isn't here." Holly stated with a smirk.

"Whatever, maybe we should just go." Amber suggested.

"No, if we leave then Ryan will stalk you all day at school and be asking why you left. Then, Matt will find out and most likely beat the shit out of him…again! Do you really want that to happen?" Holly told her.

She didn't answer. What went unspoken was the fact that not only would Matt kick Ryan's ass, he's kick Amber's for going to the club again. Amber gently touched her cheek, which was covered by a curtain of her hair. She really didn't need another bruise to match this one on the other cheek. Holly saw this and her expression softened to sympathy. She knew her friend was struggling inside; she had been all week. Part of Holly wanted to help her, and the other wanted to castrate Matt for even touching Amber. Holly had hoped that mystery guy of Amber's would be there. That would have at least cheered her up some. With a smile, Holly draped an arm over Amber's shoulders again, giving her a comforting squeeze.

"Come on, let's go to the bar and get a drink…just a small one!" Holly suggested quickly before Amber could protest. "We'll listen to a few songs, dance if the music allows, and then, we'll say goodbye and leave. Does that sound alright?"

"Okay," Amber agreed after a little thought, "but just a very small drink. I don't need another killer hangover, especially with having school tomorrow."

"Alright, let's go." Holly replied, taking her hand as Amber led them towards the bar.

They were almost out of the sea of people when she saw him. Amber came to a sudden stop, her eyes wide as they settled on the figure with black and red streaked hair. Currently, he was talking to another guy, who was much shorter than him with a mop of brown hair and an equally pale complexion. Interestingly enough, he was wearing some sort of fancy face paint around his eyes. When she looked closer, Amber swore she saw rhinestones gleaming among the bright purple powder. Suddenly, as if knowing she was staring at him, Jaedon whipped his head in her direction, intense eyes staring right at her. Her heart started to drum heavily against her breastbone as his pitch black eyes bore deeply into hers. A sneer twisted its way upon his pale lips before he turned back to the other guy, saying something to him quickly. The other guy looked in their direction briefly before nodding and walking off into the crowd.

Jaedon stalked up towards the girls, irritation etched plain as day across his face. Holly, about to ask what was wrong, looked around Amber's back and smirked as she saw the guy coming towards them.

"Is that him, Amb?" Holly asked, amusement clear in her tone.

"Yes, that's…" Amber trailed off as he stopped right in front of her.

He looked down at her darkly, eyes narrowed almost angrily. It reminded her vaguely of how he looked on the night she'd met him.

"Jaedon…" Amber breathed, quietly.

"Why are you here?!" He hissed, frostily. "I thought I told you to never come back here!"

"I…I…" She stammered unable to put words together.

"A friend of ours is playing in the band tonight." Holly answered for her, coming to stand beside her friend and holding out her hand towards Jaedon. "Hi, I'm Holly."

Jaedon glared down at her warily before shaking her hand stiffly. Holly jumped a little as his skin came in contact with hers. He was so cold! When Jaedon dropped her hand, he turned his attention back towards Amber and said in a low, stern voice, "You two have to leave…_now_!"

"I think I'll go get a few drinks and let you two catch up." Holly piped up with a smirk before drifting off through the crowd.

"Holly!" Amber yelled, but her friend had already disappeared. "I'm sorry. She has a mind of her own sometimes…"

But he cut her off by grasping her tightly by the shoulders and putting his face inches from her, growling out, "I thought we had a deal! I agreed to dance with you as long as you left and never came back! Why haven't you honored your end of the bargain?!"

"I…I had to see you again." She replied, her tone almost inaudible as the band started to play.

Jaedon let out an enraged snarl and pushed her away, turning his back to her and digging his fingers into his black locks. Amber watched him for a moment, just admiring him silently. He looked as gorgeous as he had the last time she'd seen him. The red and black striped, long-sleeved shirt he wore hugged his torso perfectly, showing off traces of muscle. He still wore the same black jeans that brought out that sexy ass of his. Amber could just barely see the onyx rock hanging from the thin piece of black cord from around his neck. She'd been dying to see him for almost a week, and now he was right in front of her. Before she realized what she was doing, Amber approached him cautiously, not taking into consideration the seething look on his face. She ever-so-slowly put a hand on his shoulder, but this only caused him to whirl around swiftly and grab her wrists in an iron grip.

"Why won't you just leave?!" He yelled, angrily.

But when Amber looked up into his eyes, she saw the emotions he was trying to hide: desperation…and longing.

"Please," She begged him quietly, "I…I'm just so confused."

His gaze softened slightly as did his grip. This enabled Amber to keep going.

"I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. No matter how hard I try…I can't forget what happen that night." Amber tried to explain. "I mean, I feel things…things I shouldn't be feeling for you. And I barely even know you! I want to know why. Why can't I stop thinking about you?"

Jaedon was silent. His eyes had become guarded, and Amber couldn't read him anymore. He wasn't giving her the answers she wanted so badly, and this was frustrating her.

"What have you done to me?!" She shouted, desperately.

"Nothing." He answered, calmly. "I've done nothing. There is nothing. What you feel is just a delusion. It all was just a big mistake. I should never have danced with you. I shouldn't have…"

"Kissed me?" She finished for him.

"Yes…yes, I shouldn't have done that." Jaedon stated, gulping before releasing her and looking away.

"Then why did you?" Amber asked, half out of confusion and half out of curiosity.

"I don't know, okay?!" He snapped, turning towards her and instantly calming down again. "I don't know."

"I just want to know why I feel this way about you." She told him, her tone becoming melancholy and forlorn. "I've just never felt this way before…about anyone. I thought you might know why."

"I'm sorry, but I don't." He replied, solemnly, turning away from her again.

"Okay," Amber mumbled, looking down at her boots and trying to keep the tears that were building behind her eyes from falling, "well, I'm sorry for troubling you. I'll get my friend and leave. Bye, Jaedon."

As she turned and began to walk away, Jaedon spun around again and cried out, "Amber, wait!"

He reached out and grabbed her wrist, causing her to turn towards him slightly. Her eyes widened in shock.

_He remembered my name?! _She thought to herself.

Jaedon's eyes bore down into hers before something on the right side of her face caught his attention. Amber looked up at him uncertainly as he raised a hand towards her. When he began to sweep back the hair that covered her bruise, her eyes widened with fright and she tried to push his hand away.

"No, don't…"

But it was too late. When Jaedon saw the large wound that covered her cheek, many emotions ran through his eyes: shock, anger, and then worry.

"What happened?! Who did this to you?!" Jaedon asked, eyes drifting between hers and the bruise.

"Uh…no one," She lied, hurriedly, brushing her hair back to cover the wound, "it was…it was an accident."

Jaedon saw the fear in her eyes as well as the pain. For a minute, he forgot where they were and pulled her to him, hugging her firmly. Amber stiffened in his embrace, momentarily stunned. She felt her body mold perfectly into his, finding the chilliness of his body soothing. Jaedon leaned his head against hers, running a hand gently through her hair. Amber shivered at the contact, finding his touches comforting and strange at the same time. Then, her eyes closed as she felt a cold puff of breath close to her ear.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

This made the tears that Amber had been holding back creep out from beneath her closed eyelids and run slowly down her face.

"You're right. This was a mistake. I shouldn't have come." Amber murmured, pushing away reluctantly and running away.

"Amber, please, don't go!" Jaedon called, trying to push his way through the crowd to get to her.

But even as she heard him calling after her, Amber kept running. She ran from him and the things she felt for him, leaving them both behind. For she knew when he'd apologized, he had apologized for not having protected her. Amber found Holly easily, who was carrying two glasses of what looked like Coke. She grabbed Holly by the arm and pulled her towards the exit.

"Hey, Amber, slow down! Where are we going?! Where's that emo hottie of yours?!" Holly asked in confusion, trying not to spill their drinks.

"We have to go…now!" Amber answered.

Holly was about to protest when she saw the tears that were falling from he best friend's eyes. She shut her mouth and allowed Amber to drag her up the stairs, knowing that now was not the best time to argue. When they got outside, the fresh air hit Amber like a brick wall. It made her stop and realize how breathless she was. Holly led her away from the entrance so she could catch her breath. Amber let out broken gasps, disguising her sobs as panting. Her friend discarded the cups and rubbed her back soothingly, purple eyes filled with worry.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah," Amber answered, hoarsely, clearing her throat, "yeah, I'll be alright."

"What happened in there? You almost literally flew out of there like a bat out of Hell."

"Nothing…it's nothing." Amber assured her. "Come on, it's late. We should be heading back home."

Holly went along with her, knowing that Amber had a good reason for leaving and would tell her later. As they headed towards the subway, she couldn't help but ask, "So how did it go with your dark prince?"

Amber looked up at the sky and the almost full moon, not answering at first. Then with a sigh, she said more to herself than to Holly, "It was a mistake…everything was just a mistake."

**Aw, poor Amber...I know some of you are wondering why she didn't just stay with Jaedon, but I have it all planned out. The story only get's better from here! Review please!**


	6. In the Moonlight the Truth Shines Free

**A/N: Finally, I can get this one posted! I've had it typed up for three days now, but my computer decided to be gay and wouldn't let me submit the stupid freakin' document! Urgh...it's made me so mad!! Anyway, on a happier...and calmer note, thanks to everyone for the lovely reviews. They really brighten my day and give me the support I need to continue the story. Of course, if I stopped I think I'd have quite a few angery readers...and vampires(you never know) out for my blood. The longer the review the better, too, so keep them up. Well, this chapter was actually fairly easy to typed because it was the first scene I thought of when I started planning out this story, so I've had a awhile to perfect it. Okay, do what you do best...and enjoy!**

In the Moonlight the Truth Shines Free

"I still can't belief you just ran away from him!" Holly exclaimed from her spot on the futon. "I mean, you obsessed over him for almost a week and when he actually accepts you, you just turn and run off! What's up with that?!"

"I just realized how ridiculous I had been. It's as simple as that, Holly." Amber replied calmly, as she turned away from her mirror while she tried to take out her earrings to look at her friend. "I barely know the guy! How do I know he's not exactly like Matt?"

"One, he hugged you and two, he apologized for no apparent reason. Matt doesn't even know how to apologize. From what I can tell, this Jaedon dude is already twice the man Matt is." Holly argued, shaking her head solemnly.

"This is for the best, Holly. Trust me." Amber told her, but really she was trying to convince herself more than Holly. "It's for the best."

Holly just rolled her eyes and started digging through her over night bag. Amber turned back towards the mirror, her reflection staring right back at her. She herself didn't really understand why she'd run from Jaedon. After all those nights of dreaming about him and drawing all those sketches, Jaedon hugging her should have seemed like a blessing. But no, she'd panicked. It was like she was scared of him returning her feelings or something…

Then, it dawned on her. Amber _was_ scared! She was scared of trusting someone with her emotions…her heart. After all the heartache and pain she'd gone through with her mother leaving and Matt's abuse, she just couldn't take anymore. Half the time Amber already felt as if she was in a large crowded room, shouting for help at the top of her lungs, but no one took any notice to her. She felt numb, used, and forgotten and she just couldn't take anymore. Amber wasn't willing to take a risk on Jaedon, no matter how much she actually liked him. Maybe it was best if she just never saw him again…

"Oh, shit!" Holly exclaimed, breaking through Amber's deep train of thought.

"What's wrong?" Amber asked with a slight snigger, walking over to her dresser for some pj's. "Did you forget your underwear again?"

"No, worse than that! My iPod's gone!" Holly shrieked, tipping her bag upside down and pouring its contents onto the floor before she started going through her jeans pocket. "I must have left it at the club!"

"You can't be serious!" Amber groaned, hating her lack of fortune.

"Yes, I did! I remember it now…I was trying to find my money to pay for the drinks and I took it out to get to my wallet! Oh, fuck…my parents are going to kill me! That's the fourth one I've lost just this year alone!"

"All well, you'll just have to go and buy another one." Amber replied with a shrug as she dug through her drawer and finally pulled out a tank top and some sleeping pants.

"I don't think you understand, Amber." Holly hissed, almost angrily. "I won't be able to go out and buy one if I'm cold in my coffin! We'll just have to go back tomorrow and see if it's still there."

"No, no way!" Amber objected instantly. "I'm not going back there ever again!"

"Well, fine then…I'll go by myself."

"No, you can't go alone! It's too dangerous!" Amber snapped, desperately. "Look, I'll give you the money to buy a new iPod…a better one. I'll get you one of the new Nano's…in any color you want, okay?"

"No, I _want_ my old one…and I'll go back and get, with or without your help." Holly said, stubbornly.

"I won't let you go back by yourself and I refuse to go, so we'll just have to go buy you a new iPod after school." Amber replied just as firmly.

"Why are you so against going back?" Holly asked, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Are you that scared of seeing that Jaedon guy again?"

Amber just stood there stiffly, her lips pursed tightly and eyes intent on the wall coldly.

"Oh, I see…you _are_ scared!" Holly whispered in realization. "Good God, Amber, make up your mind! You either like him or you don't!"

"It's not that simple…" Amber muttered through clenched teeth.

"Yes, it is! You're just being too much of a coward to realize it!" Holly argued in a raised voice. "You won't even give the guy a chance! Not all men are like Matt!"

"I know that…"

"I don't think you do. You've been with that bastard for so long that you've forgotten what a real man can be like." Holly told her, seriously. "I say you should just dump that pathetic mother fucker and…"

"Can we leave my personal life alone, please?" Amber asked, the tone of her voice quiet, yet barely containing her anger.

Holly looked at her best friend. Even though she herself didn't notice it, Amber was shaking, pj's clutched tightly in her hand. Tears were glistening in her liquid blue orbs, but still being held back from actually falling. Holly took a deep breath, looking down at her blankets as she said, "I'm sorry, but you know in your heart it's true. Eventually, you're going to have to get away from Matt. There's only so much abuse you can take, Amber."

"I know…but it's hard." Amber replied, softly, her voice starting to break.

Knowing she was about to break down, Holly jumped up and enveloped the taller girl in a warm hug. Amber leaned her head on Holly's shoulder and started to cry.

"I…I'm just so sc…scared, Holly! I…I don't know i…if I can d…do it!"

"Ssh, it'll be alright. You'll see. It'll be alright." Holly murmured, rubbing her back soothingly.

They stayed like that for the longest time, waiting for Amber's tears to dry up. When they did, Holly pulled back and wiped away the last traces of them, smiling up at Amber warmly. She smiled back weakly before saying, "Thanks, Holly."

"No problem. Someone's gotta be here when you get all blubbery." Holly replied, dismissively.

Amber giggled and hugged her briefly before starting to strip out of her clothes.

"I guess you're right, though. I'll have to break-up with Matt…and soon." Amber stated with a sigh.

"It won't be as bad as you think. I'll be there if you want me to." Holly suggested, sitting on her bed. "If he so much as lifts one finger to harm you, I'll put those years of Tae Kwan Do to use."

"I thought that was only used for defense purposes, not attack." Amber laughed.

"It will be…I'll be defending you, Miss Damsel-in-Distress!" Holly explained, acting like she was fencing with a sword.

"Okay, just be sure the only person you cause harm to is Matt and not yourself." Amber warned, pulling on her tank top and taking her gloves off.

"What if we go before its dark out?" Holly asked suddenly.

"Oh, Holly, not this again!" Amber whined, putting the rest of her pj's on and starting to pull down the covers on her bed.

"Ah, come on, if it's light out, then the vampires can't get us." Holly explained, eagerly. "How can you object to that?"

"How will we get in? The club doesn't even open until 10!" Amber inquired, placing a hand on her hip and raising an eyebrow at her.

"Leave that part to me." Holly answered a sly smirk on her face.

"Now, I'm scared." Amber muttered, climbing into bed.

"I'm serious, Amber!" Holly exclaimed, jumping up and sitting in front of her. "Come on, we'll be safe as long as it's light out. What have we got to lose?"

Amber looked back at her uncertainly. Holly started to pout, giving her the puppy-dog face. She rolled her eyes and said, half-heartedly, "I don't know…"

"Please…" Holly whined.

"Fine," Amber sighed, heavily, "but we're only going if it's light out!"

"Yeah!" Holly shouted, bouncing up and down on the bed. "I'm gonna get my iPod back! I'm gonna get my iPod back!"

"Holly, did you forget to take your medication today?" Amber asked, her eyes twitching as she watched her hyper best friend jump up and down in front of her.

"What medication?!" Holly asked, innocently.

_This is going to be one long night…_

It was 8: 30 p.m. by the time Holly's golden orange _Eclipse_, pulled up in front of the Covenant Club. It seemed like supernatural forces had been against them getting to the club that afternoon. First, they both had gotten detentions after school for being late to their French class. Then, they'd been late picking Maggie up, who'd been in tears, thinking Amber had forgotten about her. When they got to Amber's house to drop off Maggie, Amber's father was there to "greet" them. He'd been called because of the detention, which caused him to take away Amber's car and "ground" her to her room for the night. It had taken about two minutes for Amber to lock the door to her room and climb out her window to meet Holly, who was waiting outside. They'd literally sprinted all the way to Holly's house which was only a couple blocks away.

Once there, they'd had to sneak into Holly's house so she could get the keys to her car. This took longer than expected because Holly's mom had come home early from her yoga class and wanted her to help with cooking dinner. Holly's mom only did this when she wanted to ask her husband for a lot of money to spend, otherwise their personal chef would have just prepared dinner. It just went down hill from there. The sun was beginning to set by the time they got to the club.

Amber opened her door and slid out of the car, looking up at the building warily. She still wasn't too sure about this. Holly shut her door and came jogging around the corner cheerily.

"You ready?" Holly asked.

"I don't think we should be doing this, Holly." Amber stated, holding onto her hat as a strong gust of wind went by.

"Aw, don't chicken out on me now! Hey, I got an idea. Why don't you stay out here and keep an eye on the car, while I go inside and look for my iPod? That sound okay?" Holly suggested.

"I don't know…"

"Either you stay out here or come in with me." Holly replied, crossing her arms over her chest, trying to hold back her annoyance. "Your choice."

"I'll stay out here, I guess." Amber sighed, looking around at the fastly darkening alleys. "Just hurry up, okay?"

"I'll be right back. Hopefully it won't take me too long to break the locks on the back door." Holly said, before she ran around the side of the building.

"Great, now I'll be thrown in jail for being an accomplice to a breaking-and-entering crime!" Amber muttered as she leaned back against the car.

But Holly had already disappeared and was unable to make a comeback. Amber let out a heavy sigh as she stared up at the street lamp above her.

_Well, this day can't get any worse…_ She thought, idly.

For what seemed like hours, Amber stood outside that building by herself. All well, at least she was comfortable. She'd done a quick change from her school clothes into a black H.I.M. concert t-shirt and a pair of skinny black jeans at her house. She smirked when she thought how she'd done that change in about 45 seconds. Maybe she should have been timing herself…Her thoughts just continued to drift from one topic to the next. After awhile, she found herself singing _Call Me When you're Sober_ by _Evanescence_.

_So this is what happens when you reach the pinnacle of boredom. _She thought to herself with a wistful look. _All well, it's not that bad I guess. Just as long as the songs I think about aren't bad…_

Amber glanced up at the sky, noticing that the traces signs of stars were starting to appear. She pulled out her purple _Venus_, flipping it up to see what time it was. 9: 00 p.m. stared back at her in neon blue numbers.

"Great! It's nine o'clock on a Friday night, and I'm stuck outside a rundown building, waiting for my absent-minded friend to find her fucking iPod." Amber ranted on to herself. "Things couldn't possibly get any worse!"

"Hey there, Baby! What's a sweet little thing like you doing in a place like this…_all alone_?" A taunting voice called.

Amber turned her head in the direction of the voice and her heart started to pound in her chest. A group of about seven to ten guys were approaching her. They all looked like they'd just come from a heavy metal concert; their hair either shaved or up in mohawks and their bodies covered in tattoos and piercings. Her body became ridged as they came closer and closer to her, all of them smirking and sniggering.

_Oh shit, this can't be good…_

Amber reached for her shoulder to get her mace out of her purse when she discovered it wasn't there. That's when she remembered that she'd left her purse at home on her floor. She wanted to just smack herself right then, but she had other things to deal with at the moment.

_Okay, let's see…Holly took the keys with her, so locking myself in the car isn't an option_._ Come on, Amber! _She thought, trying to encourage her thought process to work clearer. _Remember what you learned in those defense classes?! Um…knee to the crotch…that always works…Finger to the eye, punch to the nose, biting, kicking…screaming?_

On the inside, she was starting to panic. Amber had no idea how to defend herself and was starting to regret not taking those Tae Kwan Do classes with Holly. The gang started to surround her, and Amber just crossed her arms over her chest and tried to look as cool and calm as possible. One swaggered forward, obviously the leader, and looked her over with a hungry stare. His head was almost completely shaven, except for the little black skunk tail that was gelled down the middle of his head. A spider web-type tattoo was painted around his right eye.

"So, what brings a tasty little morsel like yourself to this part of town?" He asked in a dark, husky voice, the look in his eyes telling her that he was up to no good.

"Oh, you know…just waiting for the club to open." Amber replied, lamely.

"Oh, a party girl, are we?" He chuckled.

Amber just nodded, gulping nervously and hoping that they some how couldn't smell her fear.

"Do you hear that, boys?" He yelled to his friend in a taunting tone. "She's looking for a party!"

Then, he turned to her and grabbed her chin forcefully. Amber had to suppress the whimper that was rapidly rising in her throat as he pressed himself against her.

"Well, Love, it looks like you've come to the right place." He told her. "We are the party."

Amber's eyes widened in horror when he flashed her a menacing smile. For among his set of white teeth instead of his canines were two fangs on each side of his upper row. She didn't even know if her heart was beating anymore.

_Oh fuck…things just got worse!_

"Ready to dance with vampires, Love?" He asked before roaring with maniacal laughter.

The gang behind him started to laugh to; their fangs gleaming in the street lights. Amber tried to hold herself together as the other vampires got close. Then without another thought, Amber raised her knee and dug it deep into the leader's crotch. He let out a long painful groan as he slid down to the ground, giving Amber her chance to escape. She stepped over him and started to take off running. But the leader just barely managed to yell out, "Don't just stand there, you idiots! Get her before she gets away!"

Before she even knew what happened, someone had grabbed her around the waist and was hoisting her up into the air. Amber kicked out, screaming desperately. Suddenly, hands were all over, grabbing for her face, arms, and hair. Vaguely, she felt her hat fall off. The vampires dragged her back to their leader, who was just picking himself up off the ground. Amber struggled in the grasp of her captors, yelling and biting out at anything that got too close to her.

"She's a feisty one, isn't she?" One of the vampires commented with a chuckle.

"I don't think our food has fought back like this since that little Latino woman when we started to feed on her kid." Another said.

Amber started to feel nauseated. This was how she was going to die?! Being fed on by vampires?! Oh God, no… Amber started to cry, letting her tears run freely down her face. There were so many things that she wanted to do yet with her life. She wanted to go to college, become a professional artist, watch Maggie graduate from high school, get married, have kids… The leader smirked down at her as he caressed her cheek in mock tenderness. Amber flinched away from his touch as he exposed her bruise.

"Don't worry, Love," He told her in a pretend friendly voice, "it'll all be over soon."

Amber just cried harder when he said that. She felt someone pull her head back by her hair painfully, exposing her throat to the leader.

"Please, oh please, God, someone help me!" She sobbed quietly. "Someone help me, please! Please, help me! God, someone help me!"

"No one can save you now." The leader chuckled coldly as he bent down and opened his mouth wide, his fangs growing impossibly long.

"Let her go!" A low voice called out in warning.

The leader let out a snarl as his fangs shrank and he turned away from her throat. Amber just barely managed to turn her head in the tight grip that held her to see who her savior was. That's when she felt her heart nearly jump up into her throat. Standing in the middle of the street, glowing in the light of the streetlamps like kind of dark angel, was Jaedon. His hellish black eyes glared out from under his dark lashes at the leader, fists clenched tightly by his side. The leader took a few steps forward, almost blocking Amber's view of him. He looked almost the same as when she had left him. Still in the same clothes making her wonder if he'd changed since the other night. He wore a gray coat over his red and black shirt, most likely for protection against the chilly night air.

"And who are you to tell us what to do?!" The leader yelled with a sneer.

"Someone you shouldn't mess with." Jaedon replied, darkly, walking towards them slowly. "Now, do as I say and let…the girl…_go_!"

"I don't think so. You see food is scarce around here," The leader explained with a wicked smile on his face as he backed up and ran a finger along Amber's throat, causing her to whimper, "and me and my boys are awfully hungry."

"I won't tell you again! Let her go!" Jaedon growled, threateningly, striding up to the leader swiftly and getting up in his face.

The leader was about a good head taller and more bulky than Jaedon, making him seem like just a little puny guy. Amber watched in suspense as the leader just smirked down at Jaedon, not threatened in the least.

"Or what?" He spat back, exposing his fangs again.

That's when Jaedon's face screwed up in rage and he grabbed the leader by the shoulders, slamming him into the nearest wall. Jaedon had him pinned with his feet about a foot off of the ground. Amber and the other vampires watched in awe of his strength. The leader stared down at him in surprise, which turned to shock when Jaedon opened his mouth and snarled up at him. Then, Amber saw them. She saw the four fangs on his upper row of teeth.

_Oh no…not him…_

"Or I'll rip your throat out!" Jaedon hissed, his eyes flickering a shade of red that closely resembled blood.

"Really?" The leader asked, feigning fright before nodding his head.

Suddenly, Jaedon was jumped from behind by five of the other vampires. He tried to fight them off as best he could. Soon, they all became just a mess of snarling and snapping. Amber struggled in her captors grasp again, noticing that their attention wasn't totally focused on her. She shoved her elbow up into one of the vampire's jaws, knocking him back and releasing one of her arms. She turned to the other one and kicked him in the stomach, making him double over in pain. Looking back at him, Amber didn't watch where she was running and ran straight into the leader. He smirked down at her, flashing her a look at his fangs. She let out a yelp and tried to run the other way, but he wrapped his arms tightly over her body, holding her firmly to him.

"Bring him over here!" He shouted to his gang members, who were barely managing to keep a hold of Jaedon.

Jaedon was led towards Amber, snapping out and thrashing to get out of their grasps. He was restrained by his arms, one of the vampires keeping him in a head lock as he was thrust up in front of Amber. They stared into each other's eyes, black into aqua. Jaedon's gaze softened slightly as he watched the tears continue to flow out of her eyes. Amber glanced down at his fangs, clearly visible from his open mouth as he tried to catch his breath.

"Jaedon…" She breathed, her eyes filling with what looked like disgust and regret.

Jaedon's eyes widened and he shook his head, saying in a quiet tone, "No…Amb…"

His reply was cut short when one of the vampires pulled his head back by his hair, causing him to snarl out again. The beastly look on his face made Amber cry out in alarm. How could he be one of them?! How could he be a…a vampire?! The leader just continued to smirk down at them wickedly before leaning down and brushing his nose against Amber's throat.

"Aw, can't you smell that, hero boy?!" He asked him in a quiet, taunting voice. "Can't you smell that wonderful scent? All that blood right beneath that thin as paper flesh? Don't you want a taste? Don't you want to know what she tastes like?"

"N…No, never!" Jaedon shouted back in refusal.

"Oh, come on," The leader egged him on, "I bet she tastes great! Like chocolate…or strawberries…or maybe even a combination of the two! Don't you want to know what it's like?!"

"No! No, I don't!" Jaedon growled, glaring at the leader with pure loathing.

"Well," He replied with a shrug of his shoulders and a scheming grin, "maybe you just need some…encouragement."

Then, out of the corner of her eye, Amber saw the index finger nail of his left hand grow to the size of a pocket knife. The tip gleamed in the light just like a blade. She watched with horror as he smiled sadistically down at her and lowered the nail down towards her throat.

"No, don't…" Jaedon shouted, struggling against his restrainers.

But it was too late. Amber screamed out in pain as the leader's nail cut deep into the skin right beneath her collar bone. The incision was small, but it hurt like hell. She cried out in pain, already feeling a slight wetness running down her skin and shirt. When she looked down, Amber saw the crimson trail that was her blood. The leader inhaled deeply and then, let out a sigh of ecstasy.

"Awww, so sweet, don't you agree?" He asked Jaedon.

Then, Amber looked back at the boy in front of her, but what she saw made her wish she hadn't. He was staring intently at the blood running down her shirt, staring at it with a look of hunger and yearning in his eyes. Oh and his eyes…they were beginning to glow blood red now! Amber shook her head in denial and began to cry even harder.

"Jaedon, no…Jaedon, please…listen to me…" Amber pleaded, softly.

"He can't hear you, Love." The leader told her with a mirthless laugh. "Blood lust has taken over now."

_Blood lust_…Amber didn't like the sound of that. Then, the leader gave another nod of his head and the vampires holding Jaedon back loosened their hold a bit. Jaedon leapt forward, snapping at the wound on Amber's throat. Amber shrieked and cried as the leader taunted Jaedon with her, pulling her back and then pushing her forward. This went on for what seemed like forever to Amber. Jaedon's teeth would get so close to her throat that she could feel his chilly breath on her skin before she was pulled away from him again. The vampires started to chant "kiss her, kiss her, kiss her" over and over again, making the experience that much more horrifying.

"You can almost taste that sweet blood pumping through those veins, can't you?!" The leader taunted with a laugh, holding Amber just out of Jaedon's reach.

The vampires restraining him edged him closer and closer until his teeth were just an inch away from her throat. The chanting echoing through Amber's head almost like a song.

_Kiss her_

_Kiss her_

_Kiss her_

"Take the bite! Come on, its right there for you!" The leader encouraged him in a raised voice. "Take the bite! Take the bite!"

Jaedon looked longing down at the wound before his red eyes drifted back up to Amber's liquid orbs. What he saw in them made his hunger lessen and start to vanish slowly. He saw her revulsion and fear. He saw her pain and her…hate? When Jaedon looked up into her eyes, all he saw was a monster staring back at him. He wasn't a monster!

Suddenly, he turned and bit into the vampire's arm that was wrapped around his throat. The vampire stumbled back, holding onto his arm in surprise. Then, Jaedon punched the leader in the face, making him release his hold on Amber. The teenage girl fell to the ground before scrambling to her feet and running off hurriedly. But before she could get too far, something inside her made her turn and look back. She watched as Jaedon fought the gang all by himself. He flipped one over his shoulder, before grabbing another and throwing him onto the hood of Holly's car.

The window shattered and the hood became bent from the body's impact. Another vampire came to attack him from behind, but Jaedon whipped around, pointing his open palm towards him. The vampire froze in place before being lifted up into the air and sent spinning across the road and into the wall of the next building. The leader picked himself up off of the sidewalk and grabbed Jaedon by the back of his coat. But Jaedon whirled around and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up into the air. The leader glared back down at him, a growl rising from deep within his throat. Jaedon's face just contorted with rage before he punched him in the face and sent him flying. He stood there panting for a minute, trying desperately to catch his breath. That's when he saw Amber still standing there in the middle of the street, staring at him with wide, terrified eyes.

"What the hell are you still doing here?!" He shouted at her, fangs bore angrily. "Go home…now!"

Amber blinked before nodding her head and running in the direction of the subway entrance. Behind her she could hear the fight resuming, but she didn't dare turn back. All thoughts of Holly and her iPod were long forgotten. Jaedon had told her to run home, and that was exactly what she was going to do. She was going to run home and pretend like this night had never happened. That it had just been a bad dream and nothing more. Because…that night, beneath the light of the full-bellied moon, Amber had learned the truth about Jaedon Marsh.

**A/N: Wow!! I've given** myself **goose bumps! I hoped all of you liked it, too! Well, review please and I'll work on the next chapie! Toodles!**


	7. Pick One: Devil or Angel

**A/N:** I know, I know...it's been too long since I've up-dated this story. I had terrible writer's block and something bad happened while I was typing this chapter up, so every time I would try and type this, I reminded of that awful incident. But I've finished it now and that's all that matters. So without further delay...

Pick One: Devil or Angel

The Covenant Club was really different when it was closed. There were no sweaty swaying bodies crowding up the dance floor, no pulsing music, no fog or light effects…instead, the building was pretty much empty. With no windows, the club was actually quite dark, but that didn't bother Holly. She had never been scared of the dark since…never! Holly took out her cell, flipping it open and using it as a flashlight. She made her way over to the bar to start looking for the missing iPod. After hopping over the counter, Holly sifted through the bottles of liquor down below, hoping to find something. She was half tempted to take a cocktail mix or two, but her missing iPod was a little more important. Besides, Holly didn't know if she'd ever be able to make it out of there with the bottles or not.

Hours seemed to pass by as she hunted for the iPod. Holly was really starting to get irritated when she found a mini fridge hidden behind two cardboard boxes. Being overly-curious as per usual, Holly opened it without hesitation and her eyes grew wide with joyful surprise. It was as if she had hit the mother load. Inside the fridge were at least four, full liter bottles of Mt. Dew. Holly looked around apprehensively before looking back at the soda greedily, contemplating whether or not she should take one.

_Ah, what could it hurt? _She asked herself with a shrug of her shoulders.

So, she reached in and took one, opening it as she sat back against the bar. Holly took a huge swig, savoring the sweetly tart substance as it ran down the back of her throat. As she settled comfortably against the bar, she let out a content sigh, already feeling the sugar buzz pulsing through her veins. The thought of Amber outside waiting anxiously for her briefly popped into her head, but was soon dismissed as she continued to drink from the Mt. Dew bottle. In her sugar high-induced delirium Holly thought she vaguely heard screams coming from outside. Her head popped up and she listened closer.

Nothing…

With a shrug, Holly relaxed a bit and checked her phone. Seeing that it was almost 9: 30, she decided that she should probably start looking for her iPod again. As she was setting down the now almost-empty bottle of Mt. Dew, Holly saw something shiny glint out of the corner of her eye. She turned and her face lit up when her eyes fell upon a small, metallic blue iPod. The lime green and white bling she had stuck on it was what had caught her attention.

Snatching it up, Holly cradled it to her heart, feeling like she had just been reunited with a long lost friend. Putting it safely into the pocket of her jeans, Holly picked up the Mt. Dew bottle, not able to part with it just yet, and started to climb back over the bar. But as she was swinging her leg over, Holly didn't notice a tray of glasses sitting there, too. So naturally, when her foot connected with the tray, it flew off the counter and fell to the ground with a mighty crash. Holly flinched at the sound of shattering glass. She looked down at the jagged shards and scowled.

"Shit!" She hissed under her breath.

"Hello?!" A muffled voice called from one of the balconies above. "Is someone down there?!"

_Oh snap!_ Holly thought as she scrambled down the counter, careful to avoid the broken fragments of glass.

Holly started racing towards the door, looking around apprehensively for the person who'd caught her. She swore she saw a shadowed figure on one of the balconies.

"I know you're down there!" The voice called in a maliciously taunting tone.

The voice made chills run down Holly's spine and her heartbeat pick up. Then, a movement caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Instinctively, her body froze in place, bringing her to a sudden halt. Standing like a frightened doe, Holly looked apprehensively in the direction that the voice had come from. She saw a tall figure standing on the landing on top of one of the stairs. The person raised a hand in mock greeting, and Holly's eyes widened, knowing that it wasn't a friendly wave.

"Hello, Love!" The person called before breaking out into a sadistic laugh.

That laugh brought Holly back into reality and made her feet start to work properly again. Even as she ran towards the door, the laugh continued.

"You can't run from me, Princess!" The voice rang out in a smug warning.

Suddenly, the figure swung their self over the railing of the stairs, flipping through the air to land right in front of her! Holly skidded to a stop, eyes extremely wide in shock and fear as she stared at the guy in front of her. He pulled himself out of his defensive crouch and stood at his full height, hand falling from where it had been bracing his white bowler hat. When she got a good look at him, Holly swallowed nervously.

This guy was dangerously and devastatingly handsome. His skin was so pale, kinda like that Jaedon guy's was that Amber obsessed over so much; it looked nearly as white as snow and she wondered if he'd ever been exposed to sunlight before. This feature was brought out even more by his neatly-kept, raven black hair that hung in straight layers around his face. A pair of vibrant emerald green eyes glinted mischievously back at her through his bangs. An arrogant smirk had twisted its way upon his blood red lips. Holly idly wondered if he was wearing lipstick.

"I told you…" He told her, wiping his white gloved hands as if trying to get rid of some imaginary dust, "you can't run from me."

Holly just stared up at him, trying to not look as afraid as she felt. She didn't exactly know what it was about this guy that scared her so much. He looked pretty normal, besides the fact that he was dressed in a rather nice suit with a diamond pin settled in among the silk of his tie. But there was just something sinister in the air about him, and Holly didn't trust it for a moment. The guy seemed to notice her apprehension and his smirk grew. He took a step closer to her, and it took all of Holly's self-control to keep rooted to the spot she was in.

"I guess, I could ask you why you were in here in the first place, but that's such a tedious question." He stated, waving his hand about boredly. "That and I have a feeling you'll tell me anyway without me asking."

"I lost my iPod in here the other night, so I came back to find it." Holly blurted out before she realized what she was saying.

She shut her mouth immediately, wondering what had possessed her to tell him. A second ago she had silently agreed with herself that she wasn't going to tell him squat and then, it was as if the words had been ripped right out of her. The guy smirked back in return.

"I see…well hasn't anyone ever warned about breaking into strange places? You never know what you could find in there." He told her before flashing Holly a toothy smile.

Holly felt her blood run so cold when she saw the long, sharp double fangs in his mouth. Without knowing it, she took a step or two back, cursing internally. She knew there was no way that she could out-run this guy. He could drain her of her blood before she even knew what happened. No, trying to escape was out of the question. Well, she could always sweet talk him. Though when she took another look at the guy, Holly thought that might prove a little more difficult than it sounded, but it was still worth a shot. A smirk of her own bloomed on her lips as she looked up into his flashing green orbs.

"That's just it. You see…I'm a really bad listener." She told him.

The guy raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow, his interest caught. She was willing to play his game…_excellent_!

"Allow me to introduce myself," He offered before going into an elaborate and fluid bow, "I'm Edward…Edward Bennett."

"Holly Porter," Holly replied, holding her hand out to him.

Edward took it firmly in his own before bending over and placing a lingering kiss on her skin. Holly gasped at his frigid touch and had to bite back a moan, both of fright and pleasure, when he nuzzled her sensitive skin with his fangs. She swore the four canine teeth appeared to have grown in the past few seconds. They were longer than they had been awhile ago. When he came back up and met her eyes, his cat-like eyes flashed red for the briefest of moments. He could feel himself lusting after her, longing for her blood and her body. It had been awhile since he'd had a human lover. They never tended to last very long… But when Edward thought about it, the idea of having a new play thing became quite appealing. Even now, he could sense that his power over the human girl was strong. No, she wouldn't fight him; she wouldn't deny his control.

He could take her…right now. Sure, police reports and Amber alerts would go out for her. Somewhere a family would be crying and begging to have her back, but none of this meant a thing to him. Edward was a selfish vampire by nature. Fuck everyone else; he always got what he wanted and right now…he wanted Holly! As he looked her over, Edward had to admit that she was pretty hot. Her thin, dancer's build and wildly-colored made her unique and oh so desirable because he knew she was truly one of a kind. And her violet eyes were so intoxicating, showing him how much she desperately yearned for him as much as he did for her. Hints of fear could be seen deep in her vibrant orbs, but this only turned Edward on even more. Taking both of her hands in his and holding them tightly so show her how intent he was on not letting her go, Edward leaned in and said, his tone of voice kept low and seductive, "I hope you found your iPod without difficulty."

Holly had to blink a few times, trying to clear her head of the haze that seemed to keep clouding her thought process. Idly she held up the piece of technology for Edward to see and smiled, "Yeah, its right here. I thought I lost it and was gonna have to pay for a new one."

"That would have been a shame. It's lovely." He told her before looking deep into her eyes with false sincerity. "But not quite as lovely as you."

For the first time ever, Holly found herself blushing. It amazed her how one simple comment from him could reduce her to a swooning mess. Her legs were beginning to feel weak and limp like Jell-O. This must be how Amber felt when she was with Jaedon…

_Oh crap! Amber! I nearly forgot! _Holly realized, Edward's trance over her breaking slightly.

"I…I really need to go." She told him suddenly, pulling her hands out of his and side-stepping him so she could access the door. "I have someone waiting for me…"

She was walking towards the door when she felt a pair of arms lock securely around her waist and pull her firmly against a lean, yet toned body. Holly stiffed as she felt that body press itself up against her suggestively. Then, a cool breath ghosted its way across her ear. Holly closed her eyes in desire not fighting the moan that softly resonated from her throat. Edward's hands were up to no good, teasingly tracing over every curve of her body from her hips to her breasts and back down to circle her navel.

"No, don't go!" Edward pleaded, his voice laced heavily with his persuasive powers. "Stay…stay here with me. I'll fulfill your deepest desires…your darkest fantasies."

It sounded so tempting…oh so tempting. Holly felt another groan leave her mouth as he nipped playfully at her exposed throat. But a mental image of Amber standing all alone outside, looking so scared and anxious, popped back into Holly's head, bringing her out of her dazed state of consciousness.

"No," She murmured, weakly, shaking her head in protest, "my friend…I can't leave her alone out there. Amber…she'll never forgive me."

That name made Edward stop dead in his ministrations. Could she be taking about the one they'd been looking for…could her friend be _that_ girl? Even though he desperately wanted to finish what he'd started, Edward couldn't afford to screw up his boss's plans. Cause if he did, oh he didn't even want to think of the consequences. With much difficulty, he pulled himself away from Holly, but didn't let her get too far away, whirling her around and pulling her up against him. He cupped the back of her neck, tilting her head up to look at him. Suddenly, the pupils of his eyes dilated to a point where the whole of his emerald-colored irises were turned black. Holly found herself unable to look away from that piercing gaze. Some force stronger than that of her will compelled her to look on forever into his eyes.

"You will not forget me." Edward told her, firmly, his voice echoing throughout her mind. "I will always be there in the back of your mind. From this point on, you will belong to me. You will long for me…desire me always. At the mere mention of my name, you'll want me beside you. No man will satisfy you in the way I do. And if you do want me near, all you need to do is wish for me to be there…and I will appear. Now…with this kiss, I claim you as my own."

Without a moment's hesitation, Edward captured her lips with his. Holly's eyes flew wide open, shock over-coming her for a second before she succumbed to desire and kissed him back feverishly. She knew it was so wrong, but it felt so right to her. His arms were wound around her body tightly, embracing her possessively to him. Holly had never experienced a kiss like this before. It was new…exotic, and she loved every moment of it, graving more of what he had to offer. Edward crushed his lips to her, ravishing her mouth with his tongue. He nipped at her lip, drawing a small amount of blood and drinking it in lustfully. Oh, she tasted so sweet, yet so sour at the same time…like granny smith apples. He'd always remember that flavor. Holly entwined her fingers in the slick hair at the back of his neck, tugging on it painfully to urge his lips closer to hers. She'd never felt so much yearning for one thing in her entire life. She felt like a greedy child, wanting more sweets than her mother allowed.

Edward growled against her lips in an animalistic way and continued his fierce kiss. Their bodies began to move tantalizingly against one another, fighting for dominance. This was exactly how Edward wanted it. He knew she would want control as much as he did, and it would make things all the more interesting. But then, even through the fog of lust, Edward knew their make-out session had to come to an end. When he pulled away, Holly whined pitifully, trying to pull his lips to hers once again.

"No, Dear One, that's enough for now." He purred, licking the excess blood from his lips as he reached up and stroked her hair. "But I promise, there will be more of that to come…so much more. Now, you should go."

Another groan of protest left Holly's mouth as she pressed herself desperately against him. Edward had to use every ounce of his determination to keep himself from taking her then and there. But he merely kissed her forehead and pushed her towards the door.

"Go, Love," He urged her, his power still evident in his tone, "I promise we'll be together soon."

Holly just stared back at him longingly before walking slowly towards the door. Edward smirked and waved goodbye to his new toy as she slipped back out into the night. Once the door closed behind her and the cool night air hit her face, Holly felt her brain starting to clear. It felt as if a heavy fog was lifting from her mind, like she'd awoken from a long, deep sleep. She leaned against the door weakly, feeling her legs shaking beneath her. Everything that had happened back in there seemed like some bizarre dream. That guy, or vampire, which ever…the strange attraction she felt towards him, oh and that kiss…it made her insides flip and she felt herself craving more. Her hand came up and she ran her fingertips over the small cut on her lip, closing her eyes in desire.

_Edward…_She thought, calling out his name with such yearning, _oh Edward…_

"Um…e…excuse me," A small timid voice called to her gently, "are you lost?"

Holly's eyes snapped open and she looked down the alley. A solitary figure stood there, watching her warily. Cautiously, the person made their way towards her. Once they stepped into the light coming from the street lamps, Holly saw it was yet another strange boy. He wasn't very tall for a guy, probably only 5' 9'' or somewhere in that general area. His slim build was brought out even more by the black, long-sleeved shirt and black, skinny jeans he wore. The bright magenta lettering on his shirt seemed to glow in the dark light as did the yellow checks on his yellow and black checkered VANs. He had shaggy, dark brown; his bangs cut at an angle to gradually cover the left side of his face. Just like Edward, he had an extremely pallid complexion. Golden brown eyes outlined in black eyeliner stood out among some-kind of sparkly purple face make-up spread across like a band across his eyes. A black and white-striped swirl ran down his cheek from his right eye.

Looking him over, the corners of Holly's mouth turned up in a smirk. He was kinda cute. She watched as he squirmed awkwardly under her gaze, sticking his hands in the pockets of his jeans. She pushed herself off of the wall and swaggered towards him tantalizingly. Holly felt the high of the Mt. Dew and Edward's kiss coming back, making her feel giddy and care-free.

"No, not really, I was just leaving actually." She told him, her smirk growing as he blushed when she stopped just a foot away from him.

"G…good," He replied, shyly, looking down at his feet, "i…it's not safe here."

"So I've heard." Holly chuckled. "My car is just around the corner. My friend should be standing there waiting for me."

"Oh…okay, well I can at least see y…you safely to your car." He stuttered, quietly.

"Thanks," She said, linking her arm through his and catching him off guard as she drug him along beside her, "that's very gentlemanly of you."

The boy blushed even more and mumbled a reply quietly. But when they came around the corner, not only did she not see Amber waiting for her, her car was a complete wreck! The hood was all dented and even turned up a little, and her windshield had been completely shattered. There were scratches in the burnt orange paint too. Holly tilted her head to the side slightly, one eyebrow arched in surprise.

"Well, this is interesting…" She stated, calmly.

"That's…that's your car I take it?" He muttered, softly.

"Yep, what's left of it anyway." Holly answered, looking around for a second. "And my friend appears to have disappeared. All well, looks like I'm gonna have to find my way home some other way."

"Are you suggesting walking home…alone…in the dark?" The guy asked, somewhat taken aback.

"Well, I don't see any other way." Holly stated with an indifferent shrug. "I forgot my money at home, so I can't take the subway or a taxi. I live fairly far from here and as much as I hate the thought of how much my feet are going to hurt afterward, I don't have any other choice than to walk."

The guy looked around apprehensively before sighing and asking in a sheepish tone, "Would you mind…and if you do please say so, if I walk you home."

Holly smirked in reply even though deep down, she was incredibly touched by this stranger's concern. The boy was becoming flustered under her stare and started stuttering terribly, "I…I mean it's dark out and the streets aren't safe at night, so I just thought…"

"No, that's fine," Holly interrupted, her smirk still in place, but her eyes showing warmth and appreciation, "you can walk me home. You can keep the monsters from getting me."

The guy blushed and looked down at his feet shyly.

"Though, I do have one condition…" She trailed off, suggestively.

"Ye…yes…" He mumbled, fearfully.

"You have to tell me your name."

At this, the boy smiled for the first time. His smile was so cute, just the corners of his lips turning up slightly. It softened his features, bringing attention to his perfectly shaped lips, and Holly vaguely wondered what it would be like to kiss them. When she looked closer, Holly thought she saw traces of dimples, too.

"I'm Collin Irwin." He told her, quietly.

"Holly Porter," She replied with a smile, "well, we should probably get going."

They started walking off when Collin glanced back at the totaled vehicle.

"What are you going to do about your car?" He asked her.

"Oh, I'll just have to just call to have it towed tomorrow." She answered, idly. "My parents won't be too happy about this. I'll be needing a new car. This is actually kinda ironic. I came to get my lost iPod to avoid my parent's wrath, and now my car is just a POS."

Collin just nodded silently. As they walked, Collin listened intently as Holly rambled on about random stuff. She found herself telling him all about her life, even though he was just some guy she'd met not even ten minutes ago. But there was something about his quiet demeanor that drew her to him; his presence was comforting. When she said something that brought that smile back to his lips, Holly felt warm inside. Her sugar high was still in full swing, which probably loosened her tongue as well.

"Yeah, so I thought it'd be so cool to go to that new club. That and Amber needed to get out and mingle with some new guys. Her boyfriend is one hit short of breaking that poor girl, but she just stands there and takes all of that crap. I don't see why; I could never do that." Holly stated, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. "Though, I'd probably just end up kicking his ass. Anyway, we went, and she meets this totally hot emo guy. Oh, what was his name…Jared? No, or was it Jordan? No, no…it was…Jake! No, that's not right either. Was it Jay?"

"You mean…Jaedon Marsh?" Collin suggested, quietly.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Holly asked, raising a confused eyebrow.

"Jaedon and I…we're friends." He answered, awkwardly.

"You mean friends…or gay lovers?" Holly retorted with a wicked smirk.

Collin just blushed and rubbed the back of his neck out of embarrassment.

"N…no, just friends. I've known him a long time." He murmured, softly.

Holly nodded, chuckling lightly under her breath.

"That's what I thought. Good thing, too. If you were gay, I was going to be quite disappointed. It would be a same for a guy as cute as you to be gay." Holly mused, casually. "Although, I don't mind if you're bi; just as long as I can get in on the action."

Collin looked over; his expression fearful at best as he took in Holly's suggestive look.

"Yeah, so anyway…I guess something huge happened between them because the next day Amber had this weird dreamy look in her eyes that she used to get when she started dating Matt. That's her boyfriend's name…Matt Simns, an obtuse, sadistic son of a bitch if you ask me." Holly continued on with wild gestures of her hands. "Any who, she'd just sit there and stare off into space for the longest time and take these huge sighs that nearly drove me to the point of insanity; it was completely pathetic. But when we went back and she met up with him again, Amber totally flipped out. He was like hugging her and stuff, and she just ran away from him. It didn't make any sense to me at all."

Collin nodded his head, looking down at the ground as he walked. Holly smirked up at him and said, "You're not a very talkative one, are you?"

"N…no, not really." Collin answered, his cheeks flushing yet again.

"You don't need to be so awkward towards me. I don't bite," Holly told him, before her smile went mischievous again, "well, not too hard anyway."

The blush on Collin's face deepened further as he glanced over at her warily. Holly chuckled under her breath and looked up at the sky. Even with the bright city lights and smog obscuring her vision, Holly could still make out the slightest hint of stars in the sky. The moon was so full that there was nothing that could take away from its shine. There was a slight chill to the air, but it was still pleasant. In other words, it was a nice night for a walk, especially with an adorably hot emo guy like Collin. They were slowly making their way towards her neighborhood. The apartments and town houses were starting looking nicer and not so ghetto.

Finally, they reached Holly's house. Her house was the only thing she loved about being a rich kid. It reminded her sort of like a castle with the tower-like structure built onto the side and the elegantly arched windows. She opened the black, rot-iron gate and let Collin through before closing it behind her. Slowly, they made their way up to the door. When they stepped foot on the stoop, a motion-detector light flashed on. Collin shied back from it, his arm coming up to shield his eyes as he stumbled back into the dark. Holly gave him a weird look before she noticed his slightly open mouth. At this point, she smirked and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I figured as much." She stated, causing Collin to look up at her.

"What?" He asked, his face showing confusion.

"I figured you were a vampire." She replied with an indifferent shrug of her shoulders.

Collin's eyes widened in fear and shock. He slowly backed up even more, holding his hands up defensively.

"I…I won't harm you! I…I promise!" Collin exclaimed, hurriedly. "I was only sent to make sure you were returned home unharmed!"

"Wait…what?!" Holly asked, now being the one who was confused. "Who sent you and why did they think I was in danger?"

"Something happened to Amber." Collin told her.

"What?!" Holly yelped, suddenly concerned for her best friend. "Is she okay?! Is she hurt?!"

"She's fine…maybe a little spooked, but she's physically okay. She got ambushed by a rogue gang of vampires." Collin explained. "Luckily, Jaedon was nearby. He made sure she got out of there before they could…well, you know…"

Holly nodded in understanding before her eyes lit up with understanding.

"Hold on…then, that has to mean…Jaedon is…he's…"

"Yeah, he's a vampire too." Collin answered for her.

"Well, that would definitely explain things…" Holly muttered to herself.

"Please, just don't be upset." Collin pleaded, worriedly. "I really won't hurt you."

Holly looked down at him, her eyes searching his warm brown ones. They were probably the most innocent and earnest eyes she'd ever seen. It appeared as if this guy had never lied before in his entire life…or immortality, which ever came first. Holly walked down the steps towards him. Collin looked down at the ground, shame written plainly across his face. She could tell he wasn't proud of what he was. Something told her he hadn't chosen this life. A genuine smile formed on her lips as she reached down and took his ice-cold hands in hers. Collin looked up instantly, shocked and wary.

"I know you won't." Holly whispered, smiling up at him. "Even though this may sound so strange, I feel like I can trust you. I've never met someone so truly honest before."

Even in the dark, Holly could see him blushing as he looked away again out of embarrassment. She giggled and reached up to palm his cheek, bringing his gaze back down to hers. Her violet eyes had darkened with sudden lust. Edward was now the farthest thing from her mind. There was just something about Collin that made Holly believe in love-at-first-sight for the first time in her life. Maybe it was the way how he hadn't lied to her about anything, even though he'd had plenty of opportunities. Maybe it was the way he was looking down at her right now, like she was something truly special. Whatever it was Holly trusted it, just like she trusted Collin. Her hands dropped Collin's, and she found herself entwining her arms around his neck. Hesitantly, Collin placed his hands lightly on Holly's waist. They stared into each other's eyes for the longest time, feeling like they could read the future in one another's gaze.

Suddenly, Holly smirked and said in a quiet, yet suggestive tone, "So…aren't you gonna kiss me?"

Instead of blushing or looking away like she expected, Collin gave her that adorably-crooked smile again and replied, softly, "Do I have your permission?"

Her smirk turned back into a sincere smile and she nodded briefly.

"Most definitely…"

With that, Collin bent his head down and ever-so-gently brushed his lips against hers. Holly gasped in surprise before melting against him and returning the tender kiss. And so they kissed beneath the stars, knowing that this was just the beginning of their very own love story.

**A/N: **Cute ending you have to admit. I know there is still nothing about what happened between Amber and Jaedon, but that's for the next chapter. That and Holly needed her own conflict in the story. She's got two, count them...**two** vampires vying for her attention. Edward will have a big part to play in this story. If any of you have seen the video I've based this story off of, Edward is based off of Brenden Urie from Panic at the Disco's character. He's the one that bit the girl he was dancing with near the end of the video. And Collin is based off of Ryan Ross, the lyrisist for Panic. Well, I hope all of you enjoyed the chapter. I'll try to update sooner. But for now, give me lovely reviews!


	8. I Won't Say I'm in Love

**A/N: **Okay, I was nice and actually updated sooner. I think my gift has returned to me and is here to stay for awhile. Some of you have been waiting for this chapter for a long time. Amber and Jaedon are going to meet again...So without further delay I give you this chapie. Enjoy!

I Won't Say I'm in Love

It seemed like ages to Amber since she found out the truth about her mysterious dark prince, Jaedon Marsh. Years seemed to have flown by since that fateful full-mooned night. As Amber laid on her bed, black with rainbow-colored stars fleece blanket full over her slight form, she felt as if the whole thing had been some sick and twisted nightmare. But when she ran her fingers lightly over the small cut beneath her collar bone, Amber knew it wasn't just a dream. It all had really happened.

_Jaedon was a vampire._

The thought brought tears to her eyes. And this wasn't the first time she'd cried since that night. When she'd arrived home, Amber had locked herself in her room and sobbed herself to sleep that night. Ever since her dreams had been plagued with images of the rogue gang trying to kill her and Jaedon fighting the urge to feast on her blood as well. She hadn't let herself out of the house in days, not even for school or to help Maggie with her homework. Even when her dad came knocking at her door, threatening to ground her until the next millennium, Amber just tuned him out. Holly would come over and try to talk to her about it. Somehow, she'd found out what had happened from this guy who claimed to be Jaedon's best friend and was now her latest boy toy. Holly went on and on about how he was so sweet. He sent her gifts all the time, her favorite being the little English bulldog puppy he'd sent to her in a wicker basket with a black and purple ribbon tied around his neck.

At the moment, Holly was sitting on the bed next to her, rubbing her back as she cried. She'd brought the puppy, who'd been dubbed the name Gizmo, over for Amber to see. Gizmo, or Mo as Holly had started calling him, was sniffing around on the floor and licking a plate that had once had a slice of pizza on it. Amber didn't seem to notice anything else around her. It was like she was locked up in her own personal bubble, unaware of the world around her. Concern was written all over Holly's face. She'd never seen her friend this torn up before.

"Amber, please, stop crying." She pleaded softly. "Come on…it can't be that bad."

"Y…you ha…have no…idea," Amber gasped through her sobs, "how aw…awful it really…is! Ho…how…could this…hap…happen?!"

"I don't know," Holly replied, stroking her hair, "it just did. So, what if Jaedon's a vampire? So's Collin! It doesn't bother me one bit."

"He nearly bit me!" Amber shouted, shooting up from where she lay and turning to glare at Holly. "He nearly fed off of me…and all you can say is "so what"?!"

Holly stared back at her silently. She knew it was useless to reason with Amber when she was this emotional. Eventually, Amber lied back down on her side, putting her back to Holly once again. Her friend went back to stroking her back soothingly, knowing it calmed Amber down because her mother used to do the same when she'd been a little girl. Holly wondered vaguely where Susan Hemingway had disappeared to all those years ago. If only she knew how much her daughter needed her right now…

"I hate him." Amber mumbled, brokenly.

"Oh, you do not." Holly sighed, rolling her eyes at how ridiculous her friend was being.

"Yes, I do! Look what he's done to me! I'm a mess! I can't even go out of my room incase Maggie sees me like this!" Amber insisted, angrily. "I wish I'd never met him."

Holly sighed heavily and looked at the vase of white roses that sat on Amber's dresser. A collection of black ribbons were tied around the neck of the crystal vase. Every morning there was a white rose with a black ribbon tied around its stem sitting on Amber's window sill. Holly knew they were a gift from Jaedon. Collin had told her that Jaedon was just as miserable as Amber, sitting around all night moping, writing the saddest love songs Collin had ever heard. Both of the boys were musically active, or so Holly had been informed. It was no secret that Jaedon already loved Amber; Collin said it was written so clearly on his face whenever her name was mentioned. But in her present condition, Holly knew Amber didn't want to hear that and she would most certainly not want to believe it.

"I know you're really upset right now, Amb, and I can understand why," Holly began, her voice gentle and warm, "but you have to remember that you still have a life. You can't stay in here forever. Please, leave the cave tomorrow and go to school with me!"

"I…I don't know, Holly." Amber sighed, deeply. "I just don't think I'm up for it yet."

"If you just keep lying around and moping about like this all day long, when are you ever gonna be "up for it". Come on, Amber, school's been so boring without you! I've had no one to make weird faces at in French!" Holly pleaded. "And Maggie misses you so much…your sister needs you still. You can't shut her out like this…who will she go to for help on her homework? Ronald?! You and I both know that little girl wouldn't be able to survive without you. Now…what do you say? Will you give the outside world another shot?"

Silence followed Holly's incredibly moving speech. After thinking she was never going to reply, Holly watched as Amber shifted and look up at her over her shoulder.

"She really does need me?" Amber asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"More than you can imagine." Holly assured her, stroking her head affectionately.

Amber stared into her eyes for the longest time before turning back onto her side and whispering, "Alright…but I'm just doing this for Maggie. I still want nothing to do with Jaedon."

"Okay, whatever you say." Holly replied with a knowing smirk on her face.

_She'll come around eventually._ Holly thought as she scooped up her puppy and petted his soft, brown and white blotched fur.

The puppy yipped as if it had heard its mistress' thoughts and agreed. Amber looked over her shoulder again, eyes narrowing slightly at the small animal.

"What?!" Holly exclaimed with a slight laugh at the look on her friends face. "Don't tell me…you're a cat person!"

Amber didn't answer at first, but when she did, she merely shrugged her shoulders and mumbled, "I just can't believe he gave you a puppy."

Holly held up Mo and nuzzled his smooshed-in black nose.

"I know…isn't it great?!" She gushed as the puppy licked her on the nose.

Amber just shook her head, but chuckled under her breath.

"You're such a dork." She muttered to herself.

Holly smirked down at her and nodded her head with certainty.

_Yeah, she'll definitely come around…_

The next day, Amber wished she'd just stayed in her room. School was just as boring and horrid as she remembered. The only thing that made her day even remotely decent was the fact that she hadn't seen Matt yet. She thought this as her and Holly snuck out of the building, skipping their Business class.

"I can't believe that guy thought I belonged in an asylum. I mean…at least I have the decency to talk about people behind their backs when I'm saying shit about them!" Holly exclaimed in outrage.

Amber shook her head, rolling her eyes in amusement as she made sure the door shut quietly behind them. And then, her day went even further in the gutter…

"Hey, Babe, long time no see!" An arrogantly lazy voice called.

At the sound of that voice Amber wished that she just had the ability to disappear. Slowly, she turned and met the icy blue eyes of Matt. He took another drag from the cigarette he was smoking before flicking it onto the grass and pushing himself off of the wall he'd been leaning on. Forcing a smile onto her face, Amber walked over to him and gave him a small peck on the lips.

"Hi, how are you?" She asked, feeling repulse as he wrapped his arms around her to keep her body close to his.

"Fine," He answered, scrutinizing her with his gaze, "I've missed you. Where have you been?"

"Um…I was really, really sick. The flu…you know how it is." She lied, hurriedly.

"Aw, I'm sorry to hear that, Babe. Well, maybe it's a good thing then that I didn't stop by to see you. But I'm sorry I didn't at least call. You know how busy I get during soccer season." Matt replied, smirking. "But, I'm all yours now, so how about you come and watch me at the game tonight. We're going to crush those fags from St. Mary Prep!"

"I'll try…" She told him, hesitantly.

"Good, I'll see you there." Matt stated as if he hadn't heard her before leaning down and capturing her lips with his roughly.

Amber felt her insides churn awfully. She would have rather risked her chances with the gang of vampires than kiss Matt right now. When he finally let her go, he nodded coolly in Holly's direction before leaving them both. As soon as he was out of ear shot, Holly rushed over to Amber and hiss out, "Are you serious?! Are you _actually_ serious?! I can't believe you're even considering going to watch that prick kick a dumb ball around for two hours! What is wrong with you?!"

"Nothing, Holly." Amber answered, indifferently. "That's what girlfriends do for their boyfriends. They support them."

"Uh, hello!" Holly sneered, incredulously. "Have you seen my friend Amber Hemingway? Cause the only person I see in front of me is a chicken shit, not my best friend!"

"This is my life, Holly. Just because I'm not living it the way you want doesn't mean you can criticize me for my decisions." Amber told her.

"I'm like you're fucking sister! I'm always watching your back! That's exactly what it means!" Holly shouted back.

"If you're always watching my back, then where were you when the vampires attacked me, huh?!" Amber snarled back, angrily.

Suddenly, everything went dead quiet. Holly glared back at Amber coldly, even though on the inside she felt slightly guilty.

"I'm going home. Call me when you've come to my senses." Holly said before turning and walking away.

As she watched her retreating back, Amber thought about calling out to her, telling her she didn't mean it and asking her forgiveness. But the proud part of Amber was louder than the rational part and she just merely wheeled around the other way. After a while, she came to favorite tree and collapsed down beneath its shady leaves. It would be September soon, and the leaves would start to change color. Amber loved autumn; the time in between summer and winter. The temperature was never too hot or too cold, and the trees were always a medley of different colors. It was a perfect sketching season too.

Amber sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair irritably. She vaguely remembered how upset she'd been when she'd realized she had lost her hat that night. It was irreplaceable, and she was going to miss it terribly. But thoughts of her most recent fight with Holly took her attention away from that still depressing factor. It seemed like ever since she'd met Jaedon, they'd been picking fights more often than usual, usually about either Jaedon or Matt. This just had to stop. Amber was already stressed enough as it was; she didn't need to keep fighting with Holly over stupid shit. She'd call and make up with her after the soccer game tonight. Speaking of the soccer game…Amber still didn't know herself if it was such a great idea for her to be going. It was hard enough to be around Matt as it was. Did she really need to complicate things even more by pretending to still be interested in him? Did she really need to act like she didn't already love someone else?

_No! Hold on there…I don't love Jaedon! I don't even like Jaedon, so I just need to stop that train of thinking immediately. _Amber thought, frantically. _Yes, I'll go to the game. I love Matt! Yes, I just need to keep saying that…I love Matt. I want to be with Matt, not Jaedon!_

Even as she tried to convince herself of this, she knew it wasn't true. But Amber knew she needed to try and at least forget about Jaedon. Though, that had proved to be exceedingly difficult considering he refused to be forgotten. Everyday when a rose would appear on her window sill, Amber felt so torn with her emotions. Should she be horrified that he knew where she lived…or comforted that he still cared? Oh, it was all just so confusing!

Eventually, school finally let out, and Amber went to go pick up Maggie. As soon as they got home, she went straight to Maggie's room and helped with her math again. This time it was long division, the bane of most second graders. Soon after they were finished, Amber was just about to settle down on her bed to do some sketching when the door bell rang. When no one answered the door and the bell rang again, Amber let out an agitated huff of breath and leaped off of her bed. She rushed down the stairs just as the bell rang a third time.

"I'm coming! Jesus, calm down! I'm coming!" She shouted, irritation clear in her tone.

But when she opened the door, no one was standing there. She looked both ways down the street, but saw no one. Just when she thought she had been ding-dong ditched, Amber heard a muffled meow come from below. Her eyes traveled downward before they widened hugely. There, sticking their furry heads out of the lid of a picnic basket, where two little kittens. They looked up at her with large, curious eyes and both offered her two, soft mews. A smile came to her face as she bent down and picked up the basket.

"Well, hello there. And where did you two come from?" She cooed, gently.

They just offered her a series of mews before one with short, coal black fur reached out with a tiny paw and swatted at her hair. Amber giggled before looking down the street again as if to see who had left the basket on her doorstep. After seeing no one on the street at all, Amber smiled back down at the kitten and brought the basket into the house, shutting the door behind her. One of the maids came up to her, arching an eyebrow at the kitten-filled basket, but otherwise said nothing.

"Heidi, can you get two saucers of cream and set them on the floor in the kitchen?" Amber asked, not taking her eyes off of the kittens.

"Yes, Miss." Heidi replied before retreating into the kitchen.

Amber set the basket down on the marble floor and pulled the kittens out. She set them down on the floor, letting them walk about and tentatively explore their new home. The black one spotted a piece of lint and pounced on it; its green eyes flashing with pure enjoyment. The other kitten, a long-haired black, white, and orange calico with golden orange eyes sniffed at a potted orchid curiously. Tied around both of their necks were sheer, black ribbons. She looked back into the basket, seeing if there was any clue as to who had left her these kittens. All she found was a small, white envelope, which had her name scrawled on the front in a flourished script. Turning it around, Amber opened the envelope and took out a folded piece of paper. She unfolded it and let her eyes scan the contents.

_This is my second try to tell you how deeply sorry I am about what happened that night almost a week ago. Please, accept my sincerest apologies. I know I can't take back what happened, but now you understand why I was so hesitant to be with you, but please know I want to be with you now. May these two kittens help heal some of hurt I have caused you. They can eat solid food now and are completely house trained. I hope you can come to forgive me. Until next time, adieu, my fair Amber._

_Love with tender fondness,_

_Jaedon_

Amber's hands trembled as she read the letter. So, _He_ was behind all of this. It wasn't enough that he sent her a rose everyday, now he was playing that Collin guy's card and getting her pets. But when she looked back at the kittens, Amber couldn't help, but feel her heart soften. Suddenly, she heard the loud patter of feet coming down the stairs followed by a high-pitched squeal, "Kittens! We have kittens now?! Oh, Sissy, where did you get them?!"

Amber looked up and saw Maggie rushing up to her, her bright blue eyes sparkling with uncontainable excitement. She grabbed a hold of her little sister before she could spook the kittens. Maggie gave her a confused and disappointed look, but Amber just smiled up at her and said, gently, "You have to come up to them quietly, Maggie. Or else you'll scare them, okay?"

Understanding dawned on Maggie's face and she nodded hurried, doing a zippering motion over her lips. Then, her eyes went back to the kittens and she asked in a whisper, "So what are their names, Sissy?"

"Well, I don't know yet." Amber replied. "Do you want to help me name them?"

"Yeah!" Maggie exclaimed, nodding her head eagerly.

"Okay, go over and get them." Amber instructed before adding quickly, "gently!"

Maggie padded over to the kittens and scooped them up in her arms. Amber chuckled as she took one squirming kitten from Maggie and held it gently.

"Okay, which one do you want?" Amber asked.

"You mean…I can have one?" Maggie replied, her eyes wide with amazement.

"Of course you can." Amber laughed lightly. "There's two of them, aren't there?"

Maggie looked between them, her expression showing she was in deep concentration. Then, she took the black one from Amber and gave her the long-haired calico.

"I want this one." Maggie proclaimed, rubbing its soft black fur against her cheek. "She reminds me of you."

Amber looked under its tail quickly before nodding to Maggie.

"Hey, it is a girl. Good guess, Sis." Amber stated before looking under the other one's. "And so's mine. So, what are you going to call her?"

Maggie took one look at the kitten's green eyes and replied, "Midnight."

Amber chuckled at the simple, yet totally perfect name. Then, she looked down at her own kitten. It stared up at her with wide, yet intelligent-looking orange eyes. The kitten looked as if it knew what she was thinking, like it could see inside her soul.

"Artemis…you'll be Artemis." Amber told the kitten.

She swore that when the kitten mewed in response it was smiling at her. Just then, Heidi came back in and cleared her throat, gaining Amber's attention.

"The two saucers of cream you asked for are ready. I even popped them both in the microwave to heat them up a bit." Heidi explained. "They're sitting in front of the fridge."

"Thanks, Heidi." Amber said before she looked up at the large clock hanging on the wall. "Hey, I need to be somewhere. Can you take Maggie in with the kittens and help her feed them and then, take them all to her room. Make sure Ronald doesn't see them until I get back, okay?"

"Yes, Miss." Heidi replied before taking Artemis from her and taking Maggie into the kitchen.

Amber hurried over to the door and got her jacket, stopping in front of the mirror to look herself over. Just as she was going for the door, Amber looked back at the note that was still lying on top of the basket. She went back over and picked it up, reading it over again.

_I want to be with you now…_

_Love with tender fondness…_

_Jaedon…_Amber said his name to herself, closing her eyes and holding the letter to her heart.

_No, you love Matt…_

But this time, Amber knew she could never make herself believe that. She was just too far gone. And when she looked back down at the letter, Amber realized what she now had to do. With her mind firmly made up, she folded the letter back up and stuck it in the pocket of her jacket before opening the door and walking out into the world.

The soccer game was just as dull and boring as Amber remembered. It would have been better if Holly had been with her. At least she would have had some sort of amusement. She kept hoping that just maybe Holly might show up at the last minute, but in her heart, Amber knew she wouldn't. So she sat alone, watching her boyfriend score goal after goal. He hadn't been joking when he'd said they'd murder the other team! The St. Mary's team was stinking up the field big time. Amber sighed boredly as she rested her chin in her hands. She looked around at all the groups of her peers sitting together, especially a group of five girls. They were all laughing and having a great time. For the briefest of moments, Amber wished she and Holly had more friends; friends that they could laugh and goof around with, doing the things that they all enjoyed. But she knew that because they were a little different, she and Holly would always be the outsiders, the outcasts. She would always be on the outside looking in.

After two long hours of torture, the game finally ended. When the St. Mary's team made a sudden come back and forced them to go into over-time, Amber was so irritable that she came close to murdering one of the cheerleaders. Finally after what seemed like ages of boredom, Amber's boyfriend scored the winning goal. Once again he was the hero. His team members lifted him onto their shoulders and paraded him around the field before haling him off to the locker room. Amber gathered up her stuff and went to wait for him behind the bleachers. She watched as the crowd started to leave. The sun was beginning to set, painting the soccer field in a bluish purple glow. When Amber looked up, she saw the blurred shapes of bats flapping around the field lights. She wondered idly if one of them was Jaedon…

"Hey, Babe," She heard Matt call out as he raced across the soccer field.

Amber smiled weakly in reply. When he came up to her, Matt pulled her into his arms and kissed her fiercely. But Amber didn't return the gesture. She just stood there with her arms firmly against her sides and let her lips stay slack. Though, it didn't seem to bother him. Matt pulled away looking satisfied and smirked down at her as he asked, "So how'd I do?"

"Fine, just as good as the last time I saw you play." Amber told him with a shrug of her shoulders.

"I was awesome!" Matt insisted, looking so proud of himself that it almost made Amber sick. "Did you see when I mowed that guy down to get the ball back?! You have to admit that was pretty tight!"

"Yeah," Amber replied, looking anywhere but at him.

"I know you find these games boring, but you know how I love to see my girl cheering me on."

Amber could barely keep from laughing at this. He must have been referring to the cheerleaders because she hadn't even yelled out his name once. Matt looked down at her, raising a blonde eyebrow in question.

"Why are you so quiet tonight?" Matt asked, his eyes starting to narrow in suspicion.

"Matt," Amber started, pushing out of his arms, "I'm sorry, but I just can't do this anymore."

"Do what? What are you talking about?" He asked with a slight chuckle, but Amber could tell it was a mirthless laugh.

"I'm talking about us. I can't do "us" anymore. I've done this for too long. I can't keep going on pretending everything is perfectly fine when its not." Amber explained, shaking her head. "To be honest, things haven't been good between us since the very beginning of our relationship. That was three years ago, Matt! For three years I've put up with your lying and your cheating and your abusiveness. But not anymore; I'm getting out."

"Wait…_you're_ dumping _me_? Now, something's not right here." Matt replied, appearing perfectly calm. "Baby, you can't mean this. I love you, and I know you love me…"

"No, Matt…no, I don't love you." Amber interrupted, meeting his frozen orbs to show him how serious she was. "I've realized I've never loved you. It was a lie to keep myself from believing that I needed to end it. And I know for dead certain that you don't love me either. You love to control me. You love the idea of being able to come to me and get anything you want if you can't get into any other girls pants. But you don't actually love me, so don't lie to my face now. It wouldn't make any difference anyway. I'm leaving, and there's nothing you can do to keep me."

"Oh, really…" Matt hissed through his teeth, his eyes flashing dangerously, "and what makes you think that if you leave me that anyone else will want you? You're a freak, Amber. You always have been and always will be. No guy in his right mind would want you, except for me. I'll always want you, so what makes you think you can do any better than me?"

"I know I can do better! Dating dog shit would be better than dating you!" Amber told him, boldly.

"Why you little bitch!" Matt growled, grabbing her wrists and pulling her forcibly to him. "No guy will ever want you! I'm it, Babe! The best you can do is me! And you're damn lucky to have me! I could have any girl I want and I chose you! You should be honored, you ungrateful wretch!"

When Amber looked up into his burning gaze, she realized she was no longer afraid of him. Maybe it was the fact that she had nearly been killed by vampires or that Matt reminded her so much of her father at this point that her fear of him just suddenly disappeared. She looked defiantly up into his eyes and sneered in a deadly calm tone, "I know with all certainty that I can do better than you!"

Suddenly, Matt's expression went from enraged to shocked. His eyes widened as he looked down into Amber's. Amber looked up at him with confusion, not understanding what that look was for.

"You saw him again." Matt stated, blankly. "That guy from the club…you're still seeing him."

"Wha…what are you talking about?" Amber lied, starting to falter for the first time tonight.

"Now look who's lying!" Matt snarled, his anger starting to return. "And you accused me of cheating! You whore; you're no better than I am! What's his name?! Where does he live?!"

"Why should I tell you?!" Amber shouted back, trying to pull out of his grasp. "So you can go kick his ass?!"

"So he does exist?!" Matt yelled, pulling her back to him and starting to shake her roughly. "Tell me who he is, Amber! Who is the bastard?!"

"No!" She growled, defiantly.

Matt's face screwed up in outrage, and he slapped her across the face. Amber's head whipped to the side, but this time she didn't back down. She looked back at him immediately, glaring at him with such force that Matt thought his eyes were going to go up in flames.

"Hit me all you want, it won't make a difference! I won't cower before you anymore!" Amber hissed, holding her head high with unfailing pride.

Matt lifted his hand to strike her again when a voice cut through the air like a blade, "I wouldn't do that it I were you."

Both Amber and Matt whipped around to see a shadowed figure standing a little off to the side. When he stepped into the light, Amber's heart jumped up into her throat.

"Jaedon…" She murmured.

Jaedon's onyx black eyes glowed in the dark as he looked straight into Amber's aqua orbs. His expression softened slightly, but still remained coolly serious. He was still as unbelievably handsome as the last time she'd seen him, except for looking a little more worn-out around the eyes. The red streaks in his hair stood out vibrantly in the aftermath of the sunset. He wore the same jacket that he had the night he'd saved her, zipped up against the cold; a yellow scarf wound carelessly around his neck. His black cargo pants hung loosely off of his hips, emphasizing how slim he was. The black onyx rock hung from his neck, glittering omniously like his eyes. But when she looked down, Amber's eyes widened. In his white as snow hands, Jaedon held her beloved hat. It still appeared to be in good condition. Ever so slowly, he walked up to them, his strides long and emanating his power.

"I'll only say this nicely once…let her go, and we won't have any problems." Jaedon stated, his tone calm, but held hints of fury.

"Who…who the hell are you?!" Matt exclaimed, but none the less released Amber.

Jaedon didn't answer. His eyes were set firmly on Amber now. She walked away from Matt a little, meeting her dark savior before he could get to close to the human boy. They stared into each other's eyes for the longest time; their expressions speaking volumes to the other. There was so much confusion in both of them, so much desperation. Finally, Jaedon offered her the first smile she had ever seen grace his pale rose-colored lips, and it made Amber want to swoon right then and there.

"Hi, Amber," He said, quietly, saying her name her name with so much tenderness that it made her heart ache.

But when he did speak, it made Amber come back down to earth and realize who and _what_ he actually was.

"What are you doing here, Jaedon?" She asked, sighing wearily.

"I came to return this to you." Jaedon answered, holding her hat out to her. "I found it on the street that night after…well you know. And Holly told Collin how much you loved it, so I wanted to give it back to you in person."

"No, I mean, what are you doing here? You shouldn't be here." She told him, her expression cold, yet sad at the same time.

"Amber, I…I had to see you. It's been killing me knowing that I hurt you. I never…_never_ wanted that to happen. I never wanted you to see me like _that_." Jaedon explained, spitting out the last word with great disgust as he set her hat on top of her head. "If I could take it all back, I would. That's why I sent you all those gifts. I wanted to show you how sorry I was. I wanted to show you how much you meant to me…how much I lo…"

"No, don't say that." She broke him off, her voice quaking with held-back sobs. "I never replied for a reason. I didn't want to see you again; I _don't_! I…I'm sorry, but I can't be with you. You know why."

"Please, Amber, you know in your heart you don't believe that." Jaedon said, putting a frigid hand to her cheek. "I know you felt what I did when I first kissed you…"

"So this _is_ the guy!" Matt yelled, striding up to them and grabbing Amber's arm, pulling her to him roughly. "Hey, back off, Buddy! She's mine!"

"Really? Cause just a second ago it appeared as if she was trying to leave you." Jaedon replied, looking up at Matt with a burning gaze. "Maybe you should just let the lady go and let her make her own decisions?"

"Stay out of this!" Matt growled, pushing Jaedon back with his free hand.

"Matt, leave him alone!" Amber protested.

"Shut up, Bitch!" Matt shouted, shaking her hard. "I'm not done with you yet either!"

"Let her go!" Jaedon hissed, the venom in his voice apparent.

"Oh, and um…what are you going to do about it, Squirt?!" Matt laughed, mirthlessly in Jaedon's face.

Jaedon suddenly, jumped forward and ripped Amber out of Matt's grip, pushing her to the side so she'd stay out of it. She fell to the ground, watching in alarm as Matt and Jaedon started to go at it. Matt tried to throw punches at him, hoping to hit Jaedon somewhere, but Jaedon was just too quick for him. He dodged every punch thrown his way, almost appearing to disappear into thin air. At one point, Jaedon drove his fist up into Matt's stomach, causing him to double over with a groan. When Matt straightened back up, Jaedon was nowhere to be seen. With an arm wrapped around his middle, Matt looked around for him frantically, appearing a little spooked.

"Hey, where the hell did you go?! Show yourself, you coward! Where are you?!" Matt shouted, trying to hide the fear in his voice.

That's when he felt a chilly puff of air ghost across his neck, causing ever hair on the back of his neck to stand on end before he heard a voice whisper coldly, "Right here!"

Matt whirled around only to see no one there. Suddenly, something grabbed him by the back of his coat, spinning him around roughly only to pin his back to the bleachers. Matt stared down into Jaedon's eyes only to realize that instead of black, they were now glowing blood red.

"Wha…what the hell are you?!" Matt gasped, not bothering to hide his fear this time.

"I could say your worst nightmare…but that line is just so corny, so I'll just let these do the talking for me." Jaedon answered before flashing Matt a look at his teeth.

Matt released a high-pitched whimper at the sight of Jaedon's dangerously long fangs. Jaedon's smile turned cruel before he hissed up at him, encouraging a yelp of alarm from the other boy.

"Please…please…do…don't hurt me!" Matt begged, pitifully.

"Oh, I think it's too late to beg for mercy now." Jaedon told him in a dangerously low tone.

"Jaedon, don't..." A small, pleading voice called behind him.

Jaedon turned slightly, his maliciously happy expression falling away as he took in the look on Amber's face. Tears were trailing steadily down her cheeks. The look in her eyes reminded him so much of the look she'd given him the night they had been attacked. Jaedon didn't know if he could bare the thought of Amber hating him anymore than she appeared to now. When Jaedon turned back around, he closed his eyes briefly, letting his power swell up within him. Matt felt his brain go numb when Jaedon opened his eyes again, this time their color being an even more hellish black than they were normally.

"You will never hurt Amber Hemingway again." Jaedon told him, persuasion dripping from his voice. "You will not even speak or go near her. She broke up with you tonight, and you accepted that. You will not remember what happened after she broke up with you. You will not remember me or my name. But if you ever see me again, you will know full well that I am a threat and will stay far away. Do you understand, Matthew?"

"I understand." Matt repeated, dumbly.

"Good, now go straight home and drive safely." Jaedon instructed, releasing his grip on him.

Matt fell to the ground, but picked himself up quickly, walking off the field towards his car. When he was pulling away, Jaedon let go of his power and his eyes went back to their normal shade of black. Then, he turned to Amber, who was still sitting on the ground. Jaedon walked over to her and kneeled down slowly. When he went to reach out for her, Amber flinched back, shielding herself with an arm and exclaiming, "Don't touch me!"

"Amber…" Jaedon whispered, his eyes reflecting his hurt.

"No! Just…just leave me alone!" Amber shouted at him, scrambling up to her feet and taking off almost at a run.

"Amber, wait…don't do this!" Jaedon called after her, getting his feet and following quickly.

"No, just go away, Jaedon!" Amber yelled back. "I…I can't do this! I can't!"

"Amber, I'm sorry!" Jaedon cried.

Suddenly, she wheeled around and pointed a finger at him.

"No, don't give me that! I know you're not sorry! Maybe you are about what happened last week, but I know you aren't about tonight!" Amber hissed, angrily, tears stilling falling down her face. "I know you wanted to hurt him! I saw it! You wanted to kill Matt!"

"Okay, yes, it's true I did want to kill him! There I said it!" Jaedon shouted back, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "I wanted to kill him, but I couldn't help it! He hurt you! He hurt you twice, and there was nothing I could do to stop it! I wanted him to suffer like he'd made you suffer! I'm sorry I wanted to see him dead, but it was for you!"

"And is that suppose to comfort me?!" Amber asked, her tone quiet, yet cold.

"No, of course not! But I just want you to understand…"

"I understand perfectly! I understand what you are!" Amber snarled before turning around and walking off again.

Jaedon stood there for a minute, watching her retreating back, not really knowing what else to say. So he let his heart speak for him…

"But I love you!" He cried out, desperately, throwing his hands up in the air for emphasis.

This made Amber stop dead in her tracks. She stood still for a moment, staring down at her feet blankly as her breath came to her in uneven gasps. Then, ever so slowly…she turned around and gave him an incredulous look.

"Wha…what did you say?" She asked in a tone barely above a whisper.

"I love you!" Jaedon repeated just as loudly. "I love you, Amber Hemingway! I love you with everything I have to offer!"

Amber just shook her head, the tears starting to flow even more rapidly.

"No…" She whispered.

"I love you." He told her, starting to walk towards her again.

"No!" She repeated, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I love you." He assured her, just a few steps away.

"No!!" Amber sobbed, shaking her head and closing her eyes as if to shut him out.

"I love you!" Jaedon proclaimed as he took her into his arms and kissed her full on the lips.

Amber gasped in surprise before immediately falling into it. She didn't even have the strength to fight it. But then again, she didn't even know if she wanted to. His kiss was so perfect…just like she remembered. Her arms shakily came up to wrap around his neck as she deepened the kiss. His lips were so soft…and the kiss was just so gentle. It made her cry even harder. Her body shook against his with so much yearning, and Jaedon held her to him even tighter, embracing her protectively. Now she couldn't deny it anymore, and Jaedon knew it. She'd missed him; her heart had missed him. Amber wanted Jaedon just as desperately as he wanted her, and there was nothing stopping them from being together now. When Jaedon finally separated their connection, his lips brushed up against hers as he looked into tear-soaked her eyes and whispered quietly, "I love you."

Amber nodded her head and murmured breathily, "I love you, too."

And for the first time in her life, Amber truly meant it.

**A/N: **I wanted to continue on with the chapter, but I thought this ending was just too good. Well, I hope you all liked it. I know most of you finally got what you wanted. Amber and Jaedon are now together and Matt sorta got his ass kicked. Well, give me the lovely reviews you all know I love. I'll try to update soon.


	9. Before the Dawn

**A/N: **Okay, I'm back again. I figured you all deserved a quick chapter for being such good reviewers. This is just a short, sweet little chapie. I think you all will enjoy it.

Before the Dawn

Jaedon walked Amber home from the soccer field that night. Amber now thanked herself for choosing to walk in the first place instead of taking her car. They walked in silence most of the way to her neighborhood, Jaedon's arm securely wrapped around Amber's waist as if too terrified of losing her again to let her go. His coat was draped over her shoulders for added warmth since being pressed up against his frigid body made her even colder than she was already. Every once in awhile, Amber had to look up just to make sure he was really there with her and it wasn't just another dream.

When they finally got to her house, Jaedon walked her up the steps before turning her toward him and hugging her close. Amber seemed to mold right into his body, marveling in how well the fit together. She rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes and taking in the intoxicating scent and feel of him. Jaedon buried his nose in her hair and let out a pleasant sigh.

"I love the smell of your hair; it smells like jasmine and lavender. I could even smell it sometimes when I dreamed of you. When I found your hat, I used to just sit with it and hold it to my face, finding that its smell made me remember you more clearly." Jaedon whispered, softly.

"Hmm, I can't even remember how many drawings I made of you." Amber replied with a wistful smile. "I felt like it was the only way I could remain close to you. I saw you so perfectly in my mind; they were the easiest sketches I had ever made in my life. Now, my hand remembers ever line of your face, every strand of your hair. I could draw you in my sleep."

"Aw, I knew you were an artist. The calluses on your right hand were suggestion enough." Jaedon stated, taking her right hand and kissing the little bump on her middle finger tenderly. "Well, maybe sometime…you can show me these drawings."

"Sure…" Amber sighed, nuzzling his chest affectionately and smiling up at him.

Jaedon smiled back down at her before leaning down and brushing his lips ever so lightly against hers. Amber sighed deeply as she pulled him closer, feeling so hungry for his kisses. She'd lived without them for so long and now she felt like she would die without them. Jaedon moaned against her lips and deepened the connection, palming the back of her neck to bring them more contact. Amber's finger went up and entwined themselves in his silken locks. They stood there for what seemed like an eternity, kissing beneath the stars. Everything was perfect now, and they were scared that if they ended their kiss that suddenly the world would end. But finally, they had to surface for air and pulled away from each other. Amber pursed her lips, trying to put his taste to memory. Jaedon smiled crookedly down at her, pressing his forehead against hers. Amber hummed blissfully and murmured, quietly, "I don't want you to leave me."

"I don't want to leave you either," Jaedon assured her, drawing circles on her lower back, "especially after how long I spent trying to get you back."

"My dad's not home." Amber told him with a slightly smirk. "Do you want to come up?"

"I don't know?" Jaedon breathed, huskily, returning the smirk. "Am I invited?"

Amber tilted her head up, allowing her lips to brush tantalizingly against his.

"Oh, I'll have to think about that one." Amber moaned before capturing his lips with hers fiercely.

Jaedon nearly crushed her body against his as his tongue swept into her mouth. Amber whimpered pitifully as Jaedon pinned her body between his and the door. Her hand searched furiously for the doorknob; though Jaedon's kiss was distracting her terribly. Finally, her hand locked onto it and she was able to open the door. She stepped into the house, smirking back at him as Jaedon tried to enter, but seemed to be held back by some unseen force.

"You may enter." Amber told him, wagging her finger at him suggestively.

In the blink of an eye, Jaedon had her in his arms again; his lips pressed passionately against hers. He waved a hand at the door and it closed as if on its own accord.

"You have no idea how long I've longed to do this." Jaedon murmured against her lips.

"Oh, I think I do…" Amber replied, breathlessly, a hand coming up to grasp his scarf and pull him closer.

After crushing her lips to his for a moment longer, Amber pulled away and started up the stairs, still keeping a good grip on the scarf.

"Would you like to see my room?" She asked, smirking seductively.

"Oh, yes please." He answered, following her up the stairs obediently.

They stumbled up the stairs in fits of laughter and moans. Amber giggled as Jaedon kissed her neck playfully while she dug out her key to unlock her room.

"Can't you wait 'til we get inside?" She asked with a laugh.

"No, do you have a problem with that?" He replied in between kisses.

"No, not really." Amber said as she unlocked the door.

She spun around and smirked up at him, her hand ready to turn the doorknob at anytime.

"Are you ready?" She asked, raising a suggestive eyebrow.

"I've been ready for quite awhile now." He told her, matching her smirk before bending down and kissing her yet again.

Amber turned the knob and opened the door subconsciously, allowing them to back into the room. When Jaedon looked up to smirk down at her, his eyes went up over her head in shock. She gave him a confused look, turning around slowly to see what he was looking at while asking, "Jaedon, what is it? Is everything…"

And that's when she saw them. Lying on her bed, pulling back from what seemed a heavy make-out session, were Holly and Collin. Holly straightened up from her position of straddling Collin and gave them a contently lazy smirk. Collin on the other hand looked mortified; his face flushing a shade of red Amber didn't know a vampire could muster up. Holly's lip gloss was smeared all over his mouth and part of his chin. Amber and Jaedon both stood there gawking at them, each as surprised as the next…just for different reasons.

"Oh, you're finally back!" Holly exclaimed, acting as if everything was normal. "Glad to see you found her, Jaedon. It seems as if everything went fantastic for you."

"Um, Holly," Amber said, giving her friend a confused look, "when did you ever think it was okay to break into my house and do God-knows-what on my bed with your boyfriend?"

"Uh, I don't know actually." Holly replied, suddenly looking all thoughtful. "I guess I never really thought about it. It's just we got bored waiting for you two."

"Um, well, since we're back, would you mind…oh I don't know…GETTING OFF THE BED!!" Amber shouted, loudly.

Collin grabbed a hold of Holly and dragged her off quickly, putting himself between her and her angered friend.

"You were right." He whispered to Holly. "She can be a little scary."

Amber glared at him, while Jaedon smirked, recovering from his shock.

"Well, I must say, Collin, I never thought you had it in you." Jaedon stated as if it were nothing. "Good job."

This just caused Collin to blush even worse. Amber turned and hit Jaedon's chest with the back of her hand.

"Don't say that! You'll encourage her!" She hissed, gesturing over at Holly.

"Aw, that's okay. I think Jaedon and I will get along just fine." Holly piped up.

"That's what I'm worried about." Amber murmured before giving her attention fully to her best friend. "So what are you doing here anyway?"

"Well, after our little spat, I sat at home for a few hours before Collin showed up. I told him what happened, and we decided that Jaedon should go and meet you at the game. Then, we got bored and went for a walk. Turns out we ended up in your neighborhood, so I thought we'd just wait for you up in your room." Holly explained, cheerfully. "And we ran out of things to do because you two took so fucking long, so we just sorta started to make-out on your bed. And then, you two walked in. And now, here we are!"

"Well, that was all very interesting." Amber stated, sarcastically, taking off her hat and setting it on its little hook by her door. "Since the door was still locked I'm guessing you two didn't destroy any parts of my house."

"Nope, saving that for the next time you're late." Holly replied.

"I really need to get a lock for that window." Amber muttered, shaking her head and leaning against Jaedon.

"I…I'm just glad to see that you two worked everything out." Collin told them, appearing a little awkward towards Amber.

Amber and Jaedon looked at each other and smiled, their hands entwining on Amber's stomach.

"Ew, PDA!!" Holly exclaimed, pointing at their hands.

"Um, excuse me, but you have no room to talk Miss "I'm-just-going-to do-naughty-things-with-my-boyfriend-on-my-best-friend's-bed-while-she's-away"." Amber shot back.

"Oh, you'll get over it." Holly replied, dismissively. "So how did dear ol' Matt react to seeing you two together?"

"Let's just say he won't be bothering her anymore." Jaedon answered, pulling Amber protectively close to him.

"Finally!! Hell, I've been trying to get rid of this guy for three years, and you succeed at disposing of him in a matter of hours!" Holly told him, stepping away from Collin to give Jaedon a flourished bow. "I applaud you!"

Jaedon chuckled and nodded his head in appreciation. Amber then, gave Holly a stern look and jerked her head towards the window. Holly smirked and turned to Collin.

"Okay, Babe, it looks like we're not welcome here anymore. We better leave before these two jump each other's bones without warning." Holly stated, taking Collins hand and heading towards Amber's open window. "Have fun, Kids! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

"I guess that leaves room for a lot of things then!" Amber yelled after her as they climbed out the window and down the drainpipe.

Collin closed the window after them, leaving Amber and Jaedon to themselves in her room. Amber turned to him and smiled warmly, wrapping her arms around his neck. Jaedon returned the smile, his arms snaking their way around her waist and pulling her close to him.

"So, we're finally alone…" Amber stated.

"Yeah," Jaedon replied, kissing her forehead gently.

"What should we do now?"

Jaedon turned and waved a hand at her door, watching as it closed before doing another gesture to lock it. When he turned back around, he leaned down, his lips brushing against her ear.

"How about we just lie down and relax?" He suggested, slowly moving her towards the bed.

"O…okay." She breathed as she felt him slide his coat from her shoulders.

He helped her take off her jacket and her two shirts, leaving her in a flimsy tank top. Jaedon led her to the edge of the bed and had her sit down as he kneeled down before her. Amber watched, trying to contain a giggle as he unzipped her boots and slid them from her feet as if she were Cinderella. When he stood, Amber smirked and grabbed him by his front belt loops, pulling him into a heated kiss. He smiled into the lip-lock as Amber tantalizingly unwound the scarf from around his neck and threw it to the floor. Then, she pulled away, smirking seductively as she moved up onto the bed and gestured for him to come lie beside her. Hurriedly he took off his black and gray checked VANs off and crawled up next to her. Amber thought vaguely how his movements were fluid and agile like a cat's.

With a flick off his wrist, the lights were out, and the room was submerged into a pleasant darkness. Only the warm glow from the street lights outside gave them light to see by. They turned on their sides, staring into each other's eyes silently, enjoying the comforting quiet and the closeness of their bodies. Jaedon brought a hand up and caressed Amber's cheek lightly, causing her eyes to flutter close.

"I've wanted to be with you like this for so long." Jaedon whispered, almost too quietly as if speaking would break the spell over them. "Even now, it just seems like another fantasy. Am I really here?"

"I keep asking myself the same thing." Amber replied, brushing her fingers through his red-streaked bangs. "I'm almost afraid that you're going to disappear before my eyes."

"I won't." He assured her, kissing her forehead before pulling her right up against him and holding her in his arms.

Amber nestled her head beneath his chin, finding it a little strange that she couldn't feel him breathing. The vampire thing would take some getting used to. Jaedon looked over at her bedside table and saw the vase filled with his roses, which brought a relieved smile to his face.

"I was afraid you had thrown them out," Jaedon whispered, "my roses."

"Mm, I kept them. A part of me looked forward to getting another each day." Amber said, quietly. "Though, I do have to ask…why white roses?"

"A white rose is a symbol of purity. You've always seemed so pure to me, like no evil spirits have ever touched you." Jaedon explained, rubbing her back soothingly. "But the black ribbon was meant to signify the dark beauty about you."

"Mmm, you're a real poet, aren't you?" Amber stated with a slight chuckle.

"I try…"

"So tell me…who did you have deliver the kittens, which I absolutely love by the way?" Amber asked, arching her back to stretch.

"I'm glad," Jaedon replied, "I had a friend of mine go and pick them out. I gave him the address to your house and told him not to let you see him."

"Who is this mystery friend of your?" Amber inquired, teasingly.

"His name is Truhman. He lives with me and Collin near the Boundary Line area along with Collin's older brother Chris." Jaedon explained. "Chris and Truhman are still human, so they have kinda become messengers and delivery men for our girls during the day."

Amber felt as if her stomach was full of butterflies when he used the term "our girls". She was his now, not Matt's. And for once, Amber didn't mind being owned in that way.

"Will I ever get to meet them…your friend, I mean?" Amber asked, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Someday soon, I promise." He assured her. "But for now, you should get some sleep. I can tell you're really tired."

"I don't want you to leave." Amber told him, her grip tightening with fright. "Please, stay with me. Stay until I fall asleep."

"I won't leave until dawn. Then, I'll have to go and get some shut-eye of my own." Jaedon replied, embracing her back just as firmly.

"I wish you could stay here forever." Amber stated, yawning widely before settling comfortably against him.

"I know…me too." Jaedon sighed. "Now, relax and go to sleep."

"One more question…please!" Amber begged, though the exhaustion in her tone was evident.

"Okay, one more." Jaedon chuckled, looking down into her weary eyes.

"Answer me just one thing, Jaedon. The first time I met you, why were you so intent about getting me out of that club?"

Jaedon smiled warmly and said, "Because you were so beautiful and so special…I couldn't let someone like you die in a place like that. And I knew from the moment I first laid eyes on you that you were the woman I was meant to love."

A true, loving smile found its way to Amber's lips as she leaned up and kissed him sweetly. Jaedon kissed her back before pulling away and laying a kiss on each closed eyelid.

"Go to sleep now, my love." He murmured, soothingly. "May your dreams be pleasant and sweet."

As Amber drifted off to dreamland, she knew tonight would be the first good night's sleep she would have since her mom left. Jaedon would fill the whole in her heart from now on. He would make her complete.

**A/N: **Well, that's all for now. Hoped you liked it. These next couple of chapters will kinda be fillers before I start into the major plot of the story. I just kinda want to establish the relationships between Amber and Jaedon along with Holly and Collin. I'll be introducing you to Truhman and Chris before long to. Well, you all know the drill. the more reviews I get the faster I type.


	10. Love Among the Autumn Leaves

**A/N: **Hey there, faithful readers and vampire lovers! Sorry, it's been over a month since I updated, but this tory just gives me a dry spell sometimes. That and I have so many other stories going at once. They need my attention too. Well, in apology for not updating in so long, I wrote you all a nice long chapie. Hope you all enjoy.

Love Among the Autumn Leaves

Summer slowly turned to fall, and everyday there were more leaves turning colors. But all of this happened without much notice from Amber. Ever since she'd starting seeing Jaedon, everything else paled in comparison to him. He was already changing her in ways she never thought imaginable. She smiled more often and was a lot more agreeable, which did earn confusion/suspicion from her father. Just like Jaedon had said, Matt left her alone completely. It was almost as if he didn't even see her in the halls, which made Amber's life that much better. Every night Jaedon came over to visit, scaling the drain pipe just like Holly. For now, they were going to keep their relationship a secret from her dad. It might be better if he didn't ask questions about what school he went to in case he tried to do a background check or something.

That day, Amber rushed home from school, almost unable to wait until the sunset. She tried to pass the time by sketching, but she found herself looking out the window every five minutes to see if the sun had sunken any lower. Artemis was curled up beside her, her furry body nestled up against Amber's leg as she slept peacefully. Amber smiled down at her, stroking the kitten's soft fur gently. Artemis started purring in her sleep, arching into the hand to maintain contact and causing Amber's smile to widen. Her fingers trailed over the rabbit soft fur and up to the purple collar around the kitten's neck. Jaedon had bought collars for both Artemis and Midnight a few days ago. They were the nicest pet collars Amber had ever seen. Artemis' collar had little sapphire stones set into the purple band and a silver bell hung from the little metal loop. Midnight's was similar, except it was green with onyx stones. Maggie was obsessed with the little silver bell that hung from her kitten's neck, and Amber often caught her flicking at it just to hear it jingle.

After awhile the kitten woke up, her golden orange eyes seeming to glow as they settled on her mistress. Again, Amber was struck by how they seemed to stare right into her soul…just like Jaedon's. How she loved his eyes…such a unique black color, yet so full of warmth at the same time. Though, she did have to admit there was always a tinge of sadness hidden in their depths. Amber had to wonder why this was. He never did talk about his past. The one time she'd tried to ask if he had been born a vampire Jaedon had just changed the subject. It bothered her a little, but she figured if he didn't want to talk about it, then she wouldn't press the matter. When he wanted to talk, she knew he would.

Artemis stretched her small body to its fullest extent, her paws splaying out too. Amber giggled and tickled the space between her pads with her finger. The kitten drew back her paw and gave her mistress a look that nearly resembled a glare. Amber held her hands up in defense and chuckled, "Sorry, sorry…I won't do it again."

Seeming satisfied, Artemis got to her feet, doing a Halloween cat-type stretch before starting to rub up again Amber's back as the young woman went back to her drawing. She glanced over at the small animal and smirked.

"Oh, now you want attention?" She asked, raising an elegant eyebrow. "I guess you're no exception to the finicky-cat rule, huh?"

Artemis tilted her little head up at her mistress, looking as if she was trying to raise an eyebrow of her own. Amber giggled and picked the kitten up, rubbing her nose with slightly wetter one. In response, Artemis gave her a quick lick before starting the writhe in Amber's glove covered hands.

"Alright, alright…I get the memo." She laughed, settling the kitten back down on the bed.

Artemis gave her mistress one last glanced before sitting down and starting to wash her face with her paw. Amber watched with fascination, thinking how regal her cat was in all her gestures.

"Were you a queen or empress in another life?" Amber asked, thoughtfully.

Artemis looked back at Amber, her golden eyes twinkling almost as if with amusement.

"Oh sorry…maybe you were a goddess of some kind. After all, you are named after the Greek goddess of the moon and hunting." Amber mused, now talking more to herself than to the kitten. "Kinda suits you I think."

The kitten just continued to look at her for a second longer before returning to her washing. Amber shrugged before going back to her sketch. A few hours passed and by the time she was finished and was blowing of any last residue, Amber had a new sketch to give her little sister. It was of the two kittens; Artemis was sitting in the moonlight, gazing up at the moon longingly while midnight played with the moths. After putting her little mark down at the bottom, an A with a black rose entwined around one of the legs, Amber sat back looking fully satisfied. Then, her eyes drifted over to the clock, checking the time for the millionth time that day. Her insides started to bunch up with excitement when she saw it was nearly time for Jaedon to be there. She looked out the window and saw the faint orangish glow of what remained of the sunset. She'd been so caught up in her sketching that she hadn't noticed how dark it was becoming outside.

Closing her sketch book, Amber flipped herself over her bed and rushed over to her vanity, checking her reflection and making sure everything was perfect. After touching up her eyeliner and bluish purple lipstick, she retrieved her hat and hurriedly set it on her head, situating her hair and tilting the hat at just the right angle. Her movements came to an abrupt stop when she felt two thin, yet strong arms wrap themselves protectively around her waist, pulling her body against a harder and colder one. Amber smiled as she felt a familiar, chilly puff of breath tickle her ear.

"Was all this primping just for me?" An amused voice asked, smoothly. "Cause you looked just fine the way you were before."

"How long were you out there watching me?" Amber asked, settling comfortably into Jaedon's arms.

"Awhile…I love watching you draw. You get this adorable pout on your face when you're concentrating." He told her, his hands caressing her stomach lovingly.

"You're so corny sometimes, you know that?" Amber laughed, turning around to look at him for the first time that day.

No matter how many times she saw him, the sight of Jaedon always managed to take her breath away. His gorgeous crooked smile softened the sharp features of his pale face. Amber reached up and brushed a red-colored piece of hair out of his eyes, which were burning down into her face with so much restrained passion. His smile turned into a slight smirk as he replied, "Yeah, but I think my corniness is one of the many things that you love about me."

Amber's vibrant blue eyes met his and she smiled fully, giving him a nod of agreement.

"It's true." She answered, her hand coming down to finger the onyx rock that hung from his neck. "There's something about your old-fashioned romantic ways that just drive me wild."

"Romance is never old-fashioned." He told her, firmly, but his smile never faded. "No matter how you look at it, it will always be what it is."

"Okay, Mr. Deep-and-Sensitive, where are you taking me tonight," Amber asked, giving him a smirk, "a candle light dinner on the lakeshore under the stars or perhaps a dark movie theater to watch an old love story?"

"Actually, I thought we'd just take a walk through the park," Jaedon stated, before giving her a smirk of his own, "not that any of those were bad ideas."

"Always surprising me…" Amber sighed, standing up on her tiptoes so her lips were inches from his and she could stare directly into his eyes, "another quality that I adore."

"Amber…" Jaedon sighed before closing the distance between them.

The kiss quickly became passionate, Jaedon pulling her smotheringly close to him as his arms tightened their hold around her body. Amber entwined her fingers in his hair, crushing her lips to his. She felt him walking her backwards until her body was pressed between the bedpost and Jaedon's lithe form. Jaedon managed to tear his lips away from hers only to trail cool, open-mouthed kisses down her throat. Amber couldn't contain the whimper that escaped from her mouth as he playfully nipped at the crook of her neck.

"I…I missed you." She moaned, clutching his head closer to her neck.

Jaedon kissed his way back up her neck, letting his lips caress her skin as his eyes sought out hers.

"You have no idea how much I yearned to be with you while I slept." He told her, huskily.

"I hate it when you aren't with me." Amber murmured, sadly, a hand palming his cold cheek.

"I hate it when I have to leave you every morning." Jaedon replied, taking her hand and kissing the palm before holding it back to his cheek.

"Don't leave me 'til dawn." She pleaded, giving him the same command she gave him every night.

"I won't," He assured her, kissing her lips tenderly before looking her dead in the eyes again, "I promise."

She nodded silently before pressing her forehead to his, closing her eyes to just take in the feel of him against her. Jaedon inhaled her scent and sighed contently. He held her close, cradling her to him like she was the most precious thing in the world. They stood there just holding each other for the longest time like time itself had just stood still for them. But then, it was Amber who finally pulled away with a heavy sigh.

"Come on," She said, taking his hand in hers with a smile and leading him towards the drainpipe, "we're wasting moonlight by just standing here. Let's get to that park of yours."

Jaedon gave her that crooked smile of his that she absolutely adored and without warning swung her up onto his back before flying out of the window. Amber clutched her hat to her head and let out a surprised yelp. Her vampire lover smirked to himself as he came to land right in the middle of the garden at the side of her town house. She climbed off of his back quickly and smacked him in the arm playfully, not able to keep a smirk of her own off of her face.

"Warn me before you do shit like that, will ya?!" Amber hissed, quietly.

"Sorry, I just wanted to see your reaction." Jaedon replied, pulling her into his arms and nuzzling her neck affectionately.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," She replied, dismissively, swatting him away and taking his hand again, "whatever. Let's just get going okay?"

"Alright, whatever you say, my love." He told her, his black eyes sparkling with amusement.

They walked out of the gate and continued on down the block, heading towards the heart of the city. Their entwined hands swung idly between then as they walked in a comfortable silence. Amber looked up at the sky and smiled happily, the stars appearing to be smiling back down at her. Jaedon watched her with adoring eyes and said, "What I would give to have you always look like that?"

Amber looked back down and grinned at her boyfriend, giving his hand a loving squeeze.

"So, my vampire lover," She said with a mischievous grin, "do you think you could answer me a few questions?"

"Like what kind of questions?" He replied, an elegant black eyebrow arching in curiosity.

"Like questions about what kind of shit you can do," Amber clarified, "what kind of abilities do you have? You know…like being able to read my mind or something like that."

Jaedon smirked and said, "Yeah, I can do that. It's called a _Mind_ _Lock_. It's the easier to do it on a human 'cause they usually don't know how to secure their thoughts. With vampires…we have a natural defense mechanism that protects our thoughts."

"So could you read my mind…like right now?" Amber asked, her interest caught.

It was a good thing that they streets were empty at this time of night. If anyone were to stumble upon their conversation, then some serious shit would have had to go down.

"If I tried…" Jaedon answered with a shrug.

"Okay, try." She told him.

"Are you sure? I'm not really comfortable with invading your mind." He questioned, looking a little apprehensive.

"Why? Afraid of what you might find?" Amber asked, coming to a stop and putting her hands on her hips with a smirk. "Don't worry. My mind is pretty clean…for the most part."

"No, it's not that. I just think it's an invasion of privacy." Jaedon told her.

"I'm giving you permission." Amber assured him with a sincere smile. "Really…go ahead. Guess what I'm thinking."

Jaedon sighed with a weak smile before he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Amber noticed that his eyes were that odd shade of black that made his eyes look like bottom-less pits. They looked just like they had when Jaedon had confronted Matt. Then, Jaedon said, "You're thinking that my eyes look very creepy right now and that you prefer them at their normal shade of black."

"Oh, crap! You weren't kidding!" Amber exclaimed with a laugh.

"I can't believe you thought I was full of crap." Jaedon told her with a fake hurt look before he released his power and let his eyes go back to their natural color.

"That was pretty cool." Amber replied, taking his hand back. "Can you turn into a bat, too?"

"No, that's just a myth you day walkers came up with. That's what we sometimes call humans." He informed her.

"Seems logical, but that's a shame." Amber sighed before a wicked smirk came onto her lips. "I bet you would have made a sexy bat."

Jaedon chuckled at this, shaking his head.

"So what do you do if you need to make a hasty get-away since you can't turn batty?"

"We turn into _Mist_. That's where we just totally disappear. Or we can do what's called an _Atomic Pass_ where we pass through solid objects."

"Awesome! And what about the eye thing? Why do your eyes turn black or sometimes flash red?"

"Well, the blackness is just a sign that I am using my powers. But when my eyes flash red for just a few seconds that's usually from either rage or arousal." Jaedon explained, simply. "That's called a _Flicker_."

"Damn, so I haven't gotten you aroused yet?!" Amber replied, feigning disappointment. "And I tried so hard too!"

"No, you have. When we were dancing in the club, it happened a few times. You were just too drunk and aroused yourself to notice." Jaedon told her, snaking his arm around her waist with a smirk.

"You could tell I was aroused?" Amber asked, looking a little taken aback.

"I can _smell_ it, Amber!" Jaedon laughed. "I have a highly advanced sense of smell, better than that of an ordinary animal."

"So you're like a superior version of a blood hound?" Amber stated with a cheesy smile.

"Yeah, pretty much if you think about it." Jaedon replied with an amused smirk.

"What about when your eyes actually glow red?" She asked.

"That's just called a _Glow_. That only happens when our battle instincts kick in." He answered.

"And what about the bite? Will I change into a vampire if you just bite me?"

"No, not necessarily." Jaedon replied. "There are several different kinds of bites. It just depends on what kind the vampire is using."

"So what kind of bites are there?"

"Aren't you getting a little tired of asking all these questions?" Jaedon asked her with a weary smile.

"No, not really." Amber replied, honestly. "I think all this stuff is interesting. Besides, you never know if I'm gonna need this information later on."

"Okay, if you're sure…" He sighed before going on, "well it pretty much depends all on the _Drop Fang_…or fang length, and there are four _drop fangs_: passion, feeding, turning, and battle. This is from the smallest size to the largest. There are two bites for the passion fang: _Marking_ and _Nicking_. A _marking_ bite is to show possession of either your prey or lover. If they have that bite, then no other vampire can bite them."

"Kinda like a natural restraining order against everyone else." Amber put in.

"Yeah, in a manner of speaking I guess it is." Jaedon agreed. "And the _nicking_ bite is only used when a vampire has become aroused and bites their lover in the middle of a sexual tryst and can sometimes progress into a _marking_ bite. It's not meant to be used as a feeding bite, but sometimes that can happen as well if the vampire hasn't eaten lately."

"I like the sound of that." Amber stated, that wicked smirk appearing again.

Jaedon gave her a stern look, and she looked down at the ground, muttering an apology.

"We can never partake in those bites, Amber. _I_ can't…it goes against everything I believe in." Jaedon told her, solemnly. "I don't think its right to feed off of innocent day walkers. That's why I hunt animals. Both Collin and I go to the state park not far from the city once a week to do our hunting so we don't have the craving to attack anyone."

"Then, that night with the other vampires…" She started to say.

"I hadn't eaten all week. Even then, you were all I could think about. I neglected my hunting ritual, and because of my foolishness, I nearly bit you." Jaedon explained, a look of disgust etched onto his cool face.

Amber brought her hands up to cup his face, making him look down at her.

"The point is that you didn't bite me. You came to your senses. Whether you had hunted or not, you were strong enough to resist." Amber told him, smiling warmly. "You _are_ strong enough to resist."

"But don't you see, Amber?! My love for you is so dangerous. No matter how often I hunt or how strong you may think I am, I still lust for your blood. I still crave it. Our love is so forbidden, Amber. It was never supposed to happen. I love you so much…so much that I couldn't bear to exist without you. But I'm not a safe person to be associated with. We're not supposed to be together."

Jaedon spoke the truth. It was even written into the city law that a vampire and a human could not "be" together. It was strictly prohibited. And Amber knew all of this; her dad had drilled that law into her head to the point where she could recite it by heart. But still as she looked up at Jaedon, Amber knew she would died if she had to be torn away from him. She continued to smile up at him, her fingers caressing his frigid cheeks.

"I don't care." She told him, softly. "I love you…I will always love you, and no law can keep me from you. So what if our love is forbidden? I'm sure there are plenty of other couples that have survived. If they can do it so can we."

"But…I will always be a threat to you." He warned her, his eyes staring deeply into hers. "Amber…your blood…Sometimes its just so enthralling…so _intoxicating_, I'm afraid that some day my control will slip and I won't be able to control what I'm doing. I could kill you so easily."

"I think that only proves how clearly we're meant to be together. If there was nothing to fight against, then how would we know how desperately we wanted one another?" Amber asked. "How would we know that we're worth it?"

Jaedon smiled down at her, leaning down to kiss her tenderly.

"You're so brave." He whispered to her. "I don't think I could have picked a better day walker to be in love with."

"Yeah, me neither." She laughed. "Okay, now you never did finish…what are the other bites?"

"Still overly-curious I see." Jaedon stated with a smirk as he draped an arm over her shoulder. "Okay, let's see where was I…oh yeah, the feeding length. For that length, the bite is called a _Siphon_. This is just used to feed off of our prey. We can feed off of other vampires, too, but we usually only do this if food is scarce or we're severely injured and need blood to heal. Then, there is the _Turning_ bite for the turning length. This can turn humans into vampires. This is usually only done on a human lover."

Jaedon saw Amber give him a hopeful look and his expression went stern again.

"Don't even ask it, Amber. The answer is no." He told her.

"Why not?!" She whined, pathetically. "I wouldn't miss this boring human life! And I don't think it would miss me either…"

"No, but people from your human life might. What about Maggie?" Jaedon asked her, seriously. "What about Holly?"

"Knowing Holly she would be asking Collin the same question that you won't let me ask you, and she'd get what she wanted too cause you know as well as I do who has the dick in that relationship…figuratively speaking anyway." Amber argued, pouting slightly.

"Yeah, well…I highly doubt Collin would give into Holly with that particular thing. We've both had bad experiences with the _turning_ bite." Jaedon replied, his eyes becoming pained as he said this. "Besides…would you want to leave Maggie alone with you father?"

Amber looked down at her feet, shaking her head in response. She wouldn't be like her mother; she wouldn't abandon Maggie and leave her with that man.

"That's what I thought." Jaedon said, giving her a weak smile. "Okay…last one is the battle length. This last bite is the worst and the most deadly, the reason why the fangs are the longest for this one. It's called the _Throat Ripper._"

"Let me guess…" Amber interrupted him, "if you were to use this bite, the person or vampire would be…"

"Yeah…dead." Jaedon answered for her. "The _throat ripper_ is meant as a last resort tactic if in battle with another predator or vampire. Its name pretty much describes what happens. Our fangs grow almost impossibly long, to the point where they won't fit inside our mouths. It just takes one little drag across the throat."

"Have you ever used it before?" Amber asked, her tone hushed.

Jaedon looked out head of himself, distantly.

"Only once…when I was a newborn." Jaedon answered, his face oddly blank.

"So…you weren't born a vampire?" Amber asked, carefully, knowing what he meant by newborn.

She knew enough about vampires to know that the baby ones weren't deadly until they go their permanent fangs at the age of five. That's when they started to hunt on their own and could become a threat to humans. Jaedon just shook his head solemnly before looking down into Amber's eyes, his eyes showing her his endless pain and sorrow.

"I never wanted to be this way. This path was just thrusted upon me." Jaedon told her, quietly, sighing before a weak smile made its way back onto his lips. "But that's in the past. Now, I have something worth living for again."

Amber smiled back at him before asking, "So…if you don't mind me asking...exactly how old are you?"

"Well, I'm stuck at eighteen, but if I was human, I would be having my eightieth birthday this Halloween." Jaedon answered with a laugh.

"Wow, I'm dating an old fart!" Amber laughed. "But that's cool that you were born on Halloween. I always wanted that to be my birth date."

"When is your birthday?" Jaedon asked, curiously.

"December 27th…it kinda sucks having a birthday just two days after Christmas 'cause then sometimes you don't get separate presents." Amber explained.

"I can see how that would be a little bit of a let down." Jaedon chuckled. "Don't worry…I'll be sure to get you separate presents."

"You're too sweet to be real." Amber told him, kissing his cheek affectionately.

"So I've been told." Jaedon sighed, dramatically.

"And I think I'm starting to rub off on you too." She stated with a smirk.

"And is that such a bad thing?" He asked, giving her a smirk of his own.

"No, not really," She stated before pulling him to her by the collar of his shirt, "but no one can use sarcasm like I can."

"I'll be sure to remember that." Jaedon whispered, huskily as he leaned down and captured her lips with his.

Amber melted into him, her hands releasing his shirt as she used her nails to teasingly trail down his chest. Jaedon groaned into her lips, deepening the kiss passionately. His tongue snaked its way into her mouth, entwining with Amber's. Sometimes, Jaedon had to admit it was hard to keep his other side from reacting to Amber. It took a lot of his self-control to keep his fangs from dropping into the passion length. Suddenly, Amber pushed him away, causing Jaedon's eyes to snap wide open.

"What was that for?!" He exclaimed in confusion, worrying if he had accidentally bitten her.

Amber smirked as she walked seductively back up to him and pulled his lips back down to hers. Jaedon kissed her back, but he was still somewhat confused. When Amber broke the kiss, her smirk was still in place as she murmured with her lips still brushing lightly against his, "I wanted to watch your eyes _flicker._"

Jaedon smirked back, chuckling deep in his throat and shaking his head. Amber continued to smirk wickedly as she leaned down and planted a tantalizing kiss on Jaedon's slender neck. He released a shaky moan, arching his neck so she'd have better access.

"This must be what Holly called "knocking your head back"," Amber whispered musingly to herself, "when a vampire exposes their throat and its left vulnerable, right?"

"Uh hu…" Jaedon groaned in response as she kept sucking on his neck. "Who told her that?"

"Collin." Amber answered, simply, before she dragged her teeth teasingly against his cool flesh.

"Oh Amber…" Jaedon moaned, pleadingly, entwining his fingers in her long black hair.

With that, Amber lifted her head, smirking triumphantly as she watched his eyes flash from red to black. Jaedon looked down at her breathlessly before smirking back and pulling her closer to him.

"You're such a tease at times." He told her, giving her quick pecks on the lips.

"I know…" Amber replied, flicking her tongue out to prove _his_ point, "but you love it."

"True," He answered, calmly, before leaning back and listening as Amber whimpered in protest, "but only 'cause I can tease you back."

Amber shook her head with a guttural laugh and pulled him back down into another heated kiss. So they stood there, kissing beneath the dim glow of the street lights, autumn leaves falling around them like snow flakes.

**A/N: **Well, there you have it. I had more that I wanted to put in it...like them actually getting **into** the park! LOL All well, that can wait til the next chapter. I'll try to update sooner. Thank you all for waiting so patiently and not giving up on me! Okay, I gotta go and get started on the next one...You know what to do to make me a happy author...click that little review button and tell me what you think!


	11. Double Dates of the Unexpected Kind

**A/N: **Bonjour, Mon amies!! I'm back with the next chapter. I thank all of you for waiting so patiently! For this you all get cookies and your own Jaedon!...Oh sorry, I forgot...Jaedon's just a figment of my imagination.

**Jaedon (glares at LOR from his spot beside her): How could you say that?! I'm right here, aren't I?!**

LOR (pats his head comfortingly): Don't worry, Jay Jay. You'll always be real to me...and your wonderful fan girls. (holds out a chocolate chip cookie) Here! Have a cookie!

**Jaedon (smirks and smacks the cookie out of her hand before straddling her and leaning down, brushing her hair away from her neck): Actually...I'd much rather have a something more...**liquified** if you don't mind.**

LOR (blushes and still manages to be able to type on laptop even with a sexy vampire practically sitting in her lap): Okay, I kinda got to go now. As you all can see I just got a little..._busy..._

**Jaedon (brushes her hands off of the keys and starts typing to the readers): She's extremely busy right now. But don't worry, LOR left an amazing, fluffy chapter for you all to read while she's pre-occupied.**

LOR (manages to type as Jaedon starts kissing her neck): Read and enjoy!

Double Dates of the Unexpected Kind

Amber and Jaedon walked in through the entrance to the city park, their entwined hands swinging idly between them. The warm glow of the moon and street lamps lit their way. Above them, Amber could hear birds and/or bats fluttering around in the air, looking for a late night snack. Fallen leaves were already starting to blanket the side walks. Amber hardly ever walked through the city park, especially at night. She had to admit…it was very surreal and calming with no one else around. Very few people walked around the city at night anymore because of the danger the darkness brought. Only downtown was the safest place for late night excursions and even then, people walked around in groups. But with Jaedon by her side, Amber felt invincible.

She glanced up at him, a smile finding its way upon her lips as she thought of this. Sensing her gaze, Jaedon looked down and returned her smile. He squeezed her hand before leaning down and kissing her forehead affectionately. Amber giggled and nudged herself closer to his body as they walked.

"So what are we going to do while we're here?" Amber asked, curiously. "Just walk around and enjoy one another's company?"

"If that's what you would like…" Jaedon answered with a shrug. "We can do whatever you want."

At this Amber smirked and tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Well, let's see now…" She said aloud to herself, thinking over all her options. "What would I like to do?"

Jaedon watched her with an amused smile as they continued to wander along the curving path. Suddenly, Amber's eyes lit up like a small child's and she exclaimed, "Let's go swing!"

Jaedon chuckled as she took off running, dragging him behind her. Leaves crunched and swirled beneath their feet as they raced towards the middle of the park. Before long they started to see the playground not far ahead. But as they got closer, Amber and Jaedon could see that it wasn't empty. Someone was already on one of the swings, soaring high up into the air. Another figure stood nearby as if standing guard over the other person. Amber stopped running, and Jaedon came to stand in front of her protectively. They didn't move for what seemed like ages, listening carefully to the other two people. That's when Amber heard a familiar laugh come from the swinger and caused her to start smirking.

"I know that laugh." Amber stated, taking Jaedon's hand and leading him towards the swings again.

Once they got into the light of the playground, the couple made out the features of Holly and Collin. Holly's hot pink highlights seemed to shine like florescent strips among the artificial light. Amber noticed that Collin's face was clear and didn't have any traces of his usual make-up. Even without his usual paint, Collin still looked as adorable as ever. He was the first one to notice them, his body stiffening at first as he turned to face them. The younger vampire smiled shyly and waved at his friends. Holly turned her head and when she spotted the other couple, her face lit up and she exclaimed, "Amber, Jay, what brings you to our haunts?!"

"_Your_ haunts?" Amber questioned, quirking an eyebrow as she put her hands on her hips. "I believe this is a public playground, Holly."

"That's just what the city wants you to believe. In reality, I am the true owner of this park and everything in it, even down to the very last squirrel." Holly explained with a smirk.

"Right…just keep telling yourself that." Amber replied, shaking her head.

"Well, when you're done playing twenty fucking questions, how about you grab a seat and play a game of jumps with me." Her friend goaded her on. "I bet I can still school your sorry ass."

"Phst, whatever!" Amber scoffed walking over to her friend and climbing into the empty swing beside her. "I'll show you who the true champion of jumps is! You're on!"

"Holly, are…are you sure this is a good idea?" Collin asked, quietly, giving his girlfriend a worried look.

"Relax, Collie, Amb and I used to do this all the time when we were little." Holly assured him as the two girls began to swing and gain altitude.

Still looking unsure, Collin shifted nervously from foot to foot. Jaedon just watched them with interest, his arms crossed over his chest. Soon, the girls were almost level with the top bar of the swings. Holly glanced at Amber, who glanced back; both of them smirking like mad.

"On the count of three." Amber stated.

"One…" Holly answered, her smirk widening.

"Two…" Amber replied as they turned to look in front of them.

"THREE!!" They shouted before they both launched themselves out of their swings.

The guys watched as their girlfriends went sailing through the air. When they landed, Holly lost her balance and rolled a little, only to end up on her butt looking a little dazed. Meanwhile, Amber landed gracefully on her feet…exactly three feet ahead of her friend. Collin rushed over to Holly, fussing over her anxiously to make sure she was unharmed, even though all she had were scuffs of dirt and grass on her face and arms. Amber smirked back triumphantly at her friend, who just pouted grudgingly back up at her.

"Ha!" Amber taunted, smugly.

Suddenly, Holly was on her feet and leapt for Amber. Before she knew what happened, Holly had snatched off Amber's hat and started to take off with it.

"Ha!" Holly taunted back over her shoulder.

Amber's face contorted in shock before she let out an outraged shriek and took off after her. The guys just looked at each other curiously.

"Is this normal with them?" Collin asked Jaedon.

Jaedon just shrugged his shoulders and replied, "What ever is normal for them?"

Collin thought for a minute before nodding and saying, "You have a point."

"Come on," Jaedon said, gesturing for his friend to follow, "we better make sure Amber doesn't try to kill Holly. You never know…she might actually succeed this time."

"That would be the day!" Collin muttered to himself.

When they found the girls, Amber was yelling up a rather large oak tree where Holly was perched comfortably on one of the larger limbs, waving her hat tauntingly down at her severely irritated friend.

"Holly, get your scrawny ass down here now!" Amber shouted, angrily.

"Uh hu, if you want your hat, you're gonna have to come up here and get it." Holly replied, simply, lounging against the tree leisurely.

She knew Amber would never climb up the tree. Even though she would deny it, she was terrified of heights. Amber let out an ugly snarl and kicked the tree, which wasn't the best idea in the first place. She realized this too late and her foot started to throb. She swore loudly, hopping up and down while clutching her foot. Holly dissolved into a fit of laughter, fanning herself with the brim of Amber's hat. Amber glared darkly back up at her. Holly just merely poked her tongue back out at her childishly.

"Actually, I just might keep this hat." Holly told them, cheerfully, deliberately placing it on her head backwards. "I think it would look much more flattering on me than it does you."

By this time, Amber was absolutely fuming. Jaedon came up to her and put a calming hand on her shoulder. She looked back at him, quirking a questioning eyebrow.

"You know, you need to treat her like the child she's pretending to be." Jaedon told her. "If you just ignore her, she'll get bored and come down."

"That's what you think!" Holly called down to him, leaning forward heavily on her tree branch. "I could stay up here _all_ day!"

_Crack!_

The three looked up at Holly instantly as she looked down at her branch.

"Uh-oh!" She mumbled.

Suddenly, the branch broke clean off from the tree and Holly began to fall back down to the ground.

"Holly!" Amber scream.

Then, there was blur of movement, and Holly was safely back on the ground, Collin clutching her protectively in his arms. Amber let out a sigh of relief and slumped back into Jaedon, who rubbed her arms comfortingly. Holly, once she was over her initial shock, smiled up widely at Collin before patting his cheek lightly and saying, "Thanks, Babe."

When she moved to climb out of his arms, Collin's arms locked more firmly around her. Her vibrant purple eyes flicked back up to his face with confusion. Collins expression was abnormally hard as he stared down at her, his usually warm brown eyes briefly flickering red with rage.

"_No…more…goofing…around_!" He hissed, fiercely.

All Holly could do was nod silently. She had never seen this side of Collin before. Usually he was just so passive and shy, but this Collin…he was actually…_assertive_! And she had to admit it…Holly kinda liked it. Seeing that she was going to cooperate, Collin's gaze softened as he sighed with relief and smile down at her warmly.

"That's better." He said, softly, gently setting her down on her feet.

Before she could do anything else, Collin snatched Amber's hat off of her head and presented it to its rightful owner.

"Here you go." He offered, quietly with a shy smile.

Amber smiled back at him, still looking slightly impressed as she took her hat back.

"Thanks." She assured him as she set her hat on her head.

"Well now that we've resolved that situation, how about we do something more…_relaxing?_" Jaedon suggested.

The four walked on through the park until they came to a section that was clear of trees and lights. They settled down in the grass on a small hill in the arms of their lovers and gazed contently up at the sky, which gave them a perfect view of the stars. Holly nuzzled Collin's head playfully before whispering suggestively into his ear, "You know…I kinda find it sexy when you're the dominant one. Any chance I can see more of that when we're…_alone_?"

Collin flushed a deep shade of red in reply. Jaedon chuckled nearby, and Amber felt the vibration of it on her cheek which was pillowed on his chest. She smiled warmly up at him and got another kiss on the forehead in response.

"You know…I don't mind these kinds of double dates. They're not so corny." Holly mentioned to the other, thoughtfully. "We should do this more often."

"Well, at least on a double date with you we're guaranteed to be boredom free, Hol." Amber stated, wryly.

"You know you love it." Holly replied, waggling her eyebrows suggestively at her best friend.

Amber shuddered, feigning disgust but couldn't keep the smirk from her face.

"Do we need to separate you two?" Jaedon asked, teasingly.

"No, we'll be good." Amber sighed, snuggling deeper into his embrace.

"I can't make you any promises on my behalf. I like being the bad girl," Holly chirped before a wicked smirk twisted its way onto her lips, "so long as there is "punishment" involved."

"TMI, Holly, TMI to the next extreme!" Amber whined, shuddering for real this time.

Holly laughed before closing her eyes and cuddling up to Collin, who held her gently, yet protectively to his body. Amber looked up at Jaedon, who smiled down at her contently.

"I'm glad we came to the park." Amber told him, softly.

"Me too." He replied, leaning down and capturing her lips sweetly with his.

Amber sighed with satisfaction as she returned the kiss. She felt Jaedon's fingers tenderly cupping her chin, tilting her head up to his for a better connection. Amber's hands came up and tangled her slender digits in his midnight and crimson hair, deepening the kiss with a new found desperation. But their blissful moment was spoiled when they heard someone clear their throat and pipe up, "Um…excuse me, Lovebirds, but there is a PDA restriction in this park."

Amber just barely managed to tear her lips away from Jaedon's to glare at Holly's smirking face.

"Like you wouldn't do the same?!" Amber retorted, sharply.

At this, Holly's expression turned thoughtful before she nodded her head in agreement and said, "Yeah, you're probably right."

The four laughed together and came to a silent agreement…

Unexpected double dates with good friends were always the best!

**A/N: **LOR (rubbing the crook of her neck where she's sporting a new four-point bite mark with a satisfied smile): Well, now that's over and done with...I hope you all like this little diddy I wrote you. Jaedon would say goodbye, but he got a little sleepy from his meal.

**Jaedon (snoring loudly beside her, spawled out on LOR's bed)**

LOR (smirking): Yeah...life is good when you have your very own imaginary vampire! Well, stay tuned for more vampire romance. Please click that little button you all know I love so much and REVIEW!! Au revoir for now!


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